Rebuilding
by Milvus
Summary: A Rufus/Elena fic. Set post-AC but before DC. Elena returns from her ordeals in the Northern Crater. Rufus meanwhile has an empire to rebuild.
1. Chapter 1

**Rebuilding**

_Author's note & disclaimer: As a long time lurker this is my first attempt at a fan fiction. I never really considered the potential between Rufus & Elena before reading the few and far between stories on them that are out there, now it's one of my favourite pairings. Anyway, hope you enjoy- apologies for any British-isms in spelling or phrasing, it's just how I was raised! _

_Oh, and I don't own anything to do with FFVII, it all belongs to Square Enix. _

From his vantage Rufus Shinra could look down over the expanse of the newly emerging city. Not that there was much worth admiring. Edge, the shabby misfit phoenix that had arisen from the charred remains of old Midgar was hardly a model of urban design. Just a sprawl of lowrise buildings, hastily erected from whatever scrap material the masses had managed to scavenge. To Rufus' eye the 'city' was little more than a glorified refugee camp, an old sector slum that had been allowed to grow unchecked. Hardly a comparison to the elegant metropolis his forefathers had dedicated their lives to building. But then again the current president of Shinra Inc. was hardly the great leader he once was, both in status and physique.

A low, irritating background drone alerted Rufus to the fact that the man was still speaking. Dragging his pale eyes away from the window he slowly turned to face his former employee and would be business contemporary.

"...initial excavation suggests a wide network of underground chambers. We've been cross-checking it against what existing blueprints remain of the old HQ but have so far brought up a blank. Whoever built the damn thing didn't bother to put it on any map."

Shinra eyed Reeve Tuesti through strands of blonde hair before making his way back to the desk. His progress was slow, body leaning heavily against the black lacquered stick that had become a permanent fixture in his ensemble.

"We think it may be some kind of research facility, yet another one of Hojo's pet projects..." Reeve faltered under the unwavering glare of his old boss. "Does the codename 'Deepground' mean anything to you?" No response. "Did the old president mention it? Maybe Scarlet, we've recently recovered some of her files pertaining to the project." Still nothing.

Rufus tilted his face to study Reeve through his damaged eye. Quick medical attention and months covered with a patch had managed to save the eye, yet the sight in it had been all but lost, the intelligent green iris now rendered a scarred, milky gray. For most other people such an affliction would be a burden, it took an individual like Rufus Shinra to twist it into an asset- the cold blind stare being so much more unreadable and disconcerting to its receiver.

As if on cue Tuesti started to feel himself squirm under the scrutiny. A slight smirk played across Rufus' features before he turned away with a deliberate sigh.

"You know I wish I could help you Reeve. I'm afraid the old man wasn't one for sharing. Kept me at arm's length doing admin work in Junon for most of his presidency." Rufus turned back to smile at Reeve. "You know, anyone might think he felt somewhat threatened by me. His own son, imagine!"

Reeve felt his jaw tense slightly, whether Rufus knew anything or not he clearly wasn't about to divulge it. The only thing he'd achieved by coming down here was providing the president with some afternoon sport.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Well, if that's the case there's no point in my hanging around, I have other business that needs attending to. Thank you for your time Mr. President."

Rufus watched as the other man made to leave.

"My apologies once again Reeve." He purred " If there is anyway Shinra might be able to assist your efforts at WRO you must be sure to let me know."

Reeve looked up startled. Once again the corners of Rufus' mouth twisted up slightly in a knowing smirk, the unspoken fact of the WRO's anonymous benefactor charging the air between the two men.

"No si-, I mean thank you. Good day Rufus."

Reeve stepped out the office closing the door behind him. Leaning back in his chair Rufus contemplated the stick in his hand, twirling it slowly between thumb and index finger.

Despite himself the meeting with Reeve had served to unease him. Was this what things had come to? Watching his empire crumble around him while a former employee, a traitor to the company nonetheless was building a force stronger than his own.

He shook himself inwardly, grimacing at this short unchecked drift into melancholy. He was not the only one to have fallen after all, he'd learnt enough from Reno's slack mouth along with other sources to know how others were also allowing themselves to wallow in guilt and self-pity; once great heroes now reduced to barmaids and delivery boys. Such possibilities wasted.

His thoughts were interrupted by a buzz from the intercom. Shifting his weight he reached out and pressed the voice button.

"Yes?"

"Sir, Elena is here with her report."

Shinra raised a forefinger to his eye, tracing the scars in a contemplative gesture before pressing the button on the desk intercom.

"Send her in."

A few seconds later a light rap sounded on the door and the Turk entered, a manila envelope clutched in her hands.

"My report sir" She stated briskly, extending the envelope towards him.

Rufus accepted it silently, however rather than given her leave to go he gestured for Elena to sit at the chair recently vacated by Reeve. Hesitating at the unusualness of the request Elena hovered a moment before sitting upright and awkward in the high-backed chair.

Sliding the file out of its envelope Rufus stole a sidelong analysing glance at the woman in front of him. Absently she grasped at her elbow with the opposite hand, hugging the arm close in a protective gesture. Jaw set and eyes slightly downcast she seemed to be gazing at nothing.

Tseng had been made of a tougher stuff. Years of the harsh brutality of life as a Turk not to mention his previous near-death encounter with Sephiroth had hardened his facade. Any lingering pain or anxiety after the incident at the North Crater was well hidden under his mask of business-like professionalism. Elena was different though. Even after two years as a Turk she'd still been green, a rookie, unprepared for the suffering she experienced at the hands of the remnants. And now it showed. Even Rufus had noticed the change; the once eager, brash, almost irritating Turk was now a silent, demure husk of her former self.

'_Broken' _he thought to himself. There'd been a time when he hadn't wished to be affiliated with such weakness. Damaged goods such as these would be demoted to office work or sent out of sight to one of the more distant backwater Shinra outposts. However, Rufus was shrewd enough to see the irony of such a move given his own condition. Plus he felt an odd, be it grudging, sense of responsibility towards this loyal employee. The missions he had therefore been spoon-feeding her of late were designed to keep her active if out of the line of direct combat action.

He flicked through a couple of pages before turning to question her.

"No run ins with the gun-armed brute I trust?"

"No sir"

"What about Highwind?"

"He's too caught up with his new airship fleet to take much note of who or what's going on around him."

Shinra nodded, massaging a page of the report between two fingers.

"Do we have any idea of the scale of the oil reserves?"

"Only rough estimates. They need to do a proper survey but I get the impression funds are a little tight at the minute."

"Hmm, maybe if Tuesti spent less resources turning over rocks in Midgar to see what's wriggling underneath and more effort on fuel sourcing..." Rufus trailed off, his eyes scanning the lines of the report as silence filled the room. A minute ticked by.

"Why do you fund him sir?"

Rufus' eyes snapped up from the page to bore into the impudent young Turk. Though his dealings with WRO were common knowledge amongst his subordinates no one had yet had the brazenness to acknowledge it openly, let alone question him on the subject.

Elena met his gaze briefly before dropping her large eyes to the ground once more. "That is.. if you don't mind me asking...s-sir." A light crease appeared on her forehead and her lips tightened in vexation as she inwardly berated herself for her presumptuousness.

For the first time all day the smile that crossed Shinra's lips was genuine- here was a glimpse of the old Elena; impetuous, self-abasing, so very easily flustered. Maybe more was retrievable than he had first imagined.

He lounged back in his chair and faced her head on. "Perhaps I feel a debt towards the planet. Sins to be atoned for and such like." He paused a moment then tilted his head along with a questioning hike of an eyebrow "What say you Elena, can one literally try to pay for one's sins?"

"I wouldn't know sir" came the meek reply.

He rubbed the hollow of his eye socket with his finger again, a gesture that was rapidly becoming a habit much like the hair tossing of his more youthful days.

"Then again, one can become overly preoccupied with the mistakes of the past. Pity, especially self-pity, is never an admirable trait." A vision of a certain old adversary flashed briefly in his mind. His lips twisted, half-derision, half-amusement.

"You know someone once told me they felt sorry for me... Tell me Elena, do you pity me too?" The question was rhetorical but nonetheless Rufus was surprised by the number of queries he was directing to Elena, using her almost as a muse to bounce his own thoughts off.

She looked up and for the first time held his gaze. A second passed before she spoke, her voice quiet but steady.

"No sir."

He held her gaze, daring her to crack, falter- show some sign of falsehood. None came.

"Hmph", the snort was mocking, sardonic. Elena dropped her gaze and he felt a tang of bitterness, immediately regretting this scoff at her sincerity. He suddenly felt the urge to act, no more wallowing; it was time to start rebuilding what was broken.

Standing up abruptly he dropped the file on the desk. Automatically Elena rose up with him, standing to attention.

"I have a new assignment for you Elena."

"Sir?"

"Review the current status of our active stations in the Western Continent. Also bring me a list of former-Shinra engineers whom we still have known locations for- preferably not ones currently affiliated with WRO. I want a surveyance party heading out to the Corellan oil fields within the month."


	2. Chapter 2

_Oh lord, I never really thought where I was going with that first entry. Guess I saw it as more of a oneshot. However, I've had a think about it and am slowly coming up with some semblance of a plot. In the mean time here's the next instalment._

_All rights and ownership go to Square Enix of course._

Elena felt sick. Her mind refused to settle in one place, instead it flitted violently from one thought to another like a trapped bird. She tried focusing on the click of her heels on the marble floor but it only served to remind her how fast she was walking, how desperate she must appear. She couldn't stop though, right now it was all she could do to prevent herself from breaking out into a full blown run- if there was one coherent motivation in her head it was to put as much distance between herself and that office, that meeting as she could.

At the end of the corridor she hesitated, a choice between elevator or stairs faced her. She would normally avoid the elevator if she could, the sensation of being confined, trapped all over again. Yet right now she wasn't sure if she could trust her shaking knees to carry her down the several flights of stairs. She pressed the button and waited. Closing her eyes Elena tried to steady her breath, in through the nose out through the mouth. Slowly she felt the panic subsiding, her breath calming, body beginning to sway on the spot

DING! Eyes snapped open in time to see the elevator doors glide smoothly apart, thankfully there was no one on the other side to meet her shocked face. Stepping inside Elena allowed herself to lean heavily against the handrail, rather than panic her the low hum of the elevator actually had a placating affect, soothing her mind to the point where she was capable of thinking in grammatical sentences again.

Had it really been that bad? Well, did he say anything positive?

...No.

But that's hardly to be expected. When does Rufus Shinra ever hand out compliments?

But was he disappointed in the report either? He'd opened it hadn't he? Read it, even set her a follow up assignment. Why even bother? She could never read him- if you messed up in front of Reno he'd be happy to point it out to you, often in the most rich, sarcastic overtones. Tseng, though less vocal had 'disapproval' as one of his favourites in his facial expression repertoire. But Rufus, you could never tell what was going through his head at any given moment. Truth be told he scared her, the indiscernible facade, the business-like exterior punctuated by rare flashes of red hot temper, even violence. His put down of Heideggar had become the stuff of legend, Reno often quoting the "stupid horse laugh" after a few drinks down the bar. He could hold civil conversations with a person before battling them on a rooftop or sending them to an execution chamber.

Oh god, why had she asked him that question, why open your stupid big mouth? She thought she was past all this, all those little 'Elena' moments. If there was one thing she'd brought with her out of the Northern Crater it was the value of silence, of holding your reserve, staying strong. Tseng had taught her that, she'd taken her lead from him... Elena mentally shook herself, don't go back there, not again, stay in the present.

And what was with all those questions? Was he testing her? Trying to catch her out? She could tell he was growing impatient with her. She'd been aware of the downgrade in her missions- scouting jobs, file pulling, more secretarial work than a real Turk! Was he just keeping her out of the way? Elena bit the inside of her cheek, she'd have to try harder, she couldn't afford to get on the wrong side of Rufus Shinra. She needed this job, damn it she'd worked hard for it- don't throw it all away now, not because of one shake-up!

Out of the elevator she made her way hurriedly across the floor, walking into the Turks offices. Reno was perched on a desk midway through one of his anecdotes. The recipient seemed to find the story less amusing than the narrator though- Rude was staring stoically at the computer screen in front of him showing little inclination that he was listening to the redhead. Reno looked up at Elena's entry, a smirk playing across his features.

"Woohh, how'd the meeting with the big boss go, yo?"

Elena chose not to respond, focusing on making it to the desk in front of her.

"Heh, heh that bad eh?" Reno's smile tuned into an irritated pout when Elena still didn't look at him. She wasn't as fun as she used to be, not nearly as easy to rile. Elena sat down at the desk, feeling her ears burn as she stared at the paperwork in front of her. After a few seconds she risked a glance up, Reno was back to describing his latest conquest to Rude. She relaxed a little and allowed herself to look around, immediately catching Tseng's gaze. He was sat apart from the others in his own private office as head of the Turks, yet he was still able to see her through the glass partition and was currently watching Elena, concern traced across his eyes. Startled she looked down sharply. Picking up a pen she took a breath and tried to focus on doing some work. What had the president asked her to do again?

She hesitated for a second, lips twisting in concentration. Still aware of Tseng's presence mere feet away she began to write:

_Status W. Continent_

_Engineers?_

_Survey_

The pen trailed off. She frowned at the words; they were all disjointed, not making any sense. Damn it she was going to fail this task before she even started!

That smile though, it had seemed genuine. Pleased almost...

Don't kid yourself girl!


	3. Chapter 3

_AU Note: Okay, I've never played any of the FF7 compilation games beyond the original PS1 game. What elements of BC, CC, and DoC I interpret into my stories are taken from websites (FF-wiki being my main source). The plot of Before Crisis is one I found particularly hard to swallow, hence I'm exercising a bit of artistic license and cherry-picking which parts of the story I incorporate into my own fiction and which I ignore (the mass defection at the end being a prime example, I just don't see it happening!). _

_Without further ado, here's the next chapter. Sorry it's more talk than action but a little 'groundwork' is needed._

_Oh, and please review- all criticism welcome!_

"Monster attack, somewhere off Mideel.

"Gunned down during the Wutainian war.

"Er,... killed in action, forget how.

"Dishonourable discharge, mako-addiction. Any idea where he ended up buddy?"

*Shrug*

"Hmphh, probably in a slum gutter somewhere. What's next?..."

Reno paused a second. Rufus sensed a shift in the Turk's demeanour and looked up curiously.

"... Found guilty of treason- aiding and abetting fugitives."

"Ah yes, I remember hearing rumours about that over in Junon. Quite the internal hush-up from what I recall."

Reno didn't answer, just stared at the photo a moment longer before turning the file face-up on the desk. Jaw set he turned to the next file, face quickly breaking out into a sly grin. Turning to his partner he waved the mugshot in front of him.

"Heh, check out the family resemblance man!" Rude tilted his head in an acknowledging gesture, a slight tug of the lips echoing Reno's amusement. Looking back at the file Reno shook his head-

"Y'know El' must be nearly the same age as she was. Hope the similarity ends there."

"What's this?" Rufus asked. Leaning forward Reno obediently slid the folder across the desk to his boss. Picking up the file Rufus studied the photo; the hair and curve of the nose were similar to Elena's though the eyes and shape of the jaw were different.

"I didn't know Elena had a sister in the Turks. What happened to her?"

"AVALANCHE, the original incarnation that is."

Rufus blinked. He looked up over guarded brow to be met with Reno's green eyes bearing into him. Was there a hint of accusation in the Turk's gaze? If so it was only fleeting, Reno quickly dropped his eyes to focus on the next in the small pile of papers in front of him.

"MIA during the Rhapsodos incident, body later recovered in Banora-"

"Enough, this is pointless!"

"Hell, I could've told you that from the start."

Rufus sunk further down into his chair, suddenly feeling unaccountably irritated with the whole discussion.

"I never realised the career prospects of a Turk were so- limited."

"Hardly makes us worth the training resources eh?"

Rufus scowled at the black humour being levelled at him from the other side of the desk. There was something about Reno's matter-of-fact summation of the demise of each of his former comrades that was more than a little unnerving.

"Nevertheless, the Investigation Sector has been working as a skeleton crew for too long- what we need is new blood."

The two Turks exchanged suspicious glances.

"I'm sending you two on a recruitment drive; scout out for potential new additions to the Turks clan."

"Er, y'know boss- recruitment is more Tseng's expertise, Head Turk territory yeah?"

"Well now I'm handing over responsibility to you!"

Another exchange of slightly panicked looks.

"Right... er, where are we s'pose to look boss? We ain't exactly, how'd you say- popular with the masses at the mo'"

Rufus closed his eyes in tedium. "Granted there may be some residual animosity felt towards this establishment. However, with a little perseverance it shouldn't be too hard finding new applicants given the current economic environment." He paused and seemed to consider a moment. "Whether any of them hold potential is another matter, I'll be relying on you to exercise your own judgement." He addressed this last comment directly at the taller, quieter of the two men in front of him, seeing his own reflection in the dark sunglasses.

"Can do boss!"

Rufus fixed his good eye on the grinning redhead. "Tell me Reno, I'm curious- what is it about yourself that has helped you outlive most of your contemporaries?"

Reno looked surprised at the question, eyebrows shooting up into red bangs. Frowning slightly he turned to look at his partner, finding no hint from Rude he pursed his lips and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling before returning to face Rufus again, features melding into a serious poker face.

"I'd have to put it down to my stoic professionalism... sir!"

"Get the hell out of my office!"

***

"It's... ambitious."

"Is that your code for foolish?"

"No" Tseng paused to consider his words, "I would simply advise caution, we'd be getting on the wrong side of some very hot-headed people."

"We were never exactly in their good books to begin with. I think we can deal with a chain-smoking pilot."

"And an ex-terrorist?"

"Hmphh."

"And Tuetsi?"

"Let me deal with Tuetsi."

"Are you sure? I don't think even he'd rollover on this one. Oil is a major resource right now."

"Which is exactly why we should be involved. If there was one thing Shin-Ra did well it was energy generating."

"Hmm, some would say a little too well."

Rufus chuckled softly. "Nonetheless, oil-drilling is hardly the terrain of a beret wearing peace-corps. Besides, Reeve appears a little preoccupied with something else right now."

"Sir?" Tseng frowned, wondering where Rufus was getting his information if not through him. If the president noticed the Turk's suspicion he chose not to acknowledge it, instead focusing his attention on the report in front of him.

"You're right to be cautious however. We cannot simply barge in there, a little ground work, decorum, will be required first.."

He trailed off studying the maps laid out in front of him. Tseng observed his employer; Rufus appeared enthused, almost slightly maniacal- his one good eye glinting brightly as he plotted. The Turk wondered where this latest vigour stemmed from. True, he was impressed with Rufus' tenacity; even in the wake of WEAPON's attack the young president had shown little sign of melancholy, just a grim-faced determinism. Yet Tseng was all too aware of Rufus' occasional lapses in reserve, behaving recklessly to the point of wanton self-disregard. He only hoped they would be around to catch him in time.

"The first oil discoveries were made just outside of Rocket Town correct?"

"Yes sir"

"What's the situation over there at the moment? Who owns the land north of the town?"

Tseng paused for a moment. "Well, Palmer built Rocket Town at the start of his space project, so technically I suppose the town belongs to Shin-Ra, that is to say you." Rufus smiled and signalled for him to continue. "As for the surrounding area, I'm not sure. In the wake of Meteor pretty much everything came up for grabs. Wutai is practically an independent state now."

"But the land, who controls the land?"

Tseng shrugged, "The Western Continent's been carved up into several different pieces. Any person with some ounce of money or power claimed a chunk. It's practically a feudal system out there."

"Uggh, how medieval. But still, we'd need exact names. Maybe Elena could include it in her next report."

"Elena?" Tseng was surprised. "How is she involved?"

"She's been doing some reconnaissance work for me." Rufus sat back lazily in his chair. "Why, do you disapprove?"

"No sir."

"As her superior what's your opinion, is she capable?"

Tseng swallowed, "She's been through a lot recently."

"But can she still be a Turk? Can she do the job I pay her for?"

Tseng was silent a moment, meeting Rufus' demanding gaze.

"I have faith in her sir."

"Hmm, your loyalty is admirable. I wish I were so easily convinced."

Tseng set his jaw at the hidden attack on his judgement. "Will that be all sir?"

"Yes, for now."

Rufus watched Tseng leave. _'Weak staff, weak image' _the thought flashed bitterly in his head before he had a chance to push it down. Surely he should be grateful for their loyalty. Still, new blood would be arriving soon, new forces, stronger forces. He wouldn't need to put up with such weakness much longer...


	4. Chapter 4

_Apologies for the late update. Am excited about getting a review from the famous GoodWitch08- thanks for all the helpful feedback! Yes I've made Rufus a bit meaner than the way your stories often portray him. As for the blind-eye I guess I couldn't see him walking out of an explosion like that completely unscathed- plus there ain't nothing like a few imperfections as a character building tool for amateur writers! Though thinking about it I have kind of turned him into a 'Mr. Rochester' type character, heh heh. I'll try and draw short of adding a mad spouse in the attic!_

_Please review, I'm a sucker for reviews and they really add to my motivation!_

_I don't own anything of FF7._

Rufus lay on the bed, eyes closed against the harsh halogen light above. He breathed slowly and evenly as the figure hovered above him, trying to maintain his composure. It didn't last long.

A hiss of pain escaped his lips as he felt the tendons of his leg strained uncomfortably. The nurse looked up briefly before continuing grim-faced, applying the pressure to the joint with unwavering force. Rufus gritted his teeth but a sudden twisting motion from the arms of the nurse had him sitting bolt upright, his face a mixture of pain and fury-

"GOD DAMN IT WOMAN! What the hell do you think you're doing? Are you trying to wrench the whole limb off?!" He turned his leg away from the nurse and made a half-hearted swiping motion at her with his upraised arm. The nurse simply stood back, lips pursed as she crossed her arms with deliberate gravitas.

"You haven't been practising your exercises have you?"

"No I haven't been practising my goddamn exercises!"

"Do you want to stay out of that wheelchair?"

Rufus slumped sulkily back onto the gurney, scowling at the tiled ceiling above him.

"I-am-rebuilding-an-empire" he muttered through gritted teeth, accentuating each word for affect "I do not have time to waste on your petit exercises."

"Well I'm telling you to make the time."

"Telling me- ha!"

The nurse looked down at him icily before taking hold of the injured leg again and forcing pressure down on it with burly arms. Rufus nearly howled from the pain-

"STOP- what did I just say!"

"If you stop struggling it won't hurt as much" she replied in a matter-of-fact voice.

"I could have you fired you know, you sadistic- GYAARGHH!" The smallest tug of satisfaction pulled across the lips of the nurse as she continued the physiotherapy.

"Or killed-" Rufus panted in between breaths, "I could have you killed! – I've done it for less!"

"Be that as it may you'll still need to do your exercises."

***

Elena sat alone at her desk, head resting in her hands. Apart from the dull hum of the computer next to her the room was silent. Reno and Rude had left earlier in the day, something about 'scouting for talent'- she hadn't bothered to enquire further. Tseng had stepped out of the office a while ago and had yet to return. She'd often complained that the office could be too noisy, however now that the very opposite was true she couldn't say she was pleased. The silence should have been helping her work, instead she found it oppressive. Unable to concentrate her mind had started to wander, straying back once more into memories she'd rather were left undisturbed.

"Quiet in here."

Elena looked up startled. The white clad figure of the president stood like a ghost in the doorway. How did he get here? She hadn't heard the bell of the elevator that usually announced a visitor from a higher floor, had he come from another area of the building?

Rufus looked around the empty office with deliberate slowness before settling his eyes on Elena. Snapping out of her momentary confusion her mind quickly worked to find an answer-

"Reno and Rude are out..." she struggled to find a suitably professional explanation "...fieldwork."

He nodded curtly- "and Tseng?"

To be honest Elena had no idea where her immediate superior had taken himself to at that precise moment, but she wished hard as hell he would reappear quick sharp!

"He'll be back shortly sir."

"Hmmm." To Elena's horror, rather than take his leave Rufus actually stepped across the doorway of the office, making his way to the nearest work station which unfortunately happened to be Reno's. Leaning on the edge of the desk the president cast a derisive gaze across the mess of paperwork and general detritus.

He hated mess and disorder, that much was obvious. Everything about him from the pristine white suits to the zen-like orderliness of his own presidential office testified to the fact. Tseng was similar, he always had to appear calm and in control of a situation, no matter how desperate, she knew that from the Northern Caves. Still, while Tseng never allowed disorder in his own personal being he seemed to tolerate it in others- Reno being a prime case. Herself, Elena had to admit, was probably another good example of Tseng's endless calm and patience. She wondered if Rufus could demonstrate similar tolerance. Indeed, how did something like the WEAPON attack affect someone like Rufus? A man who demanded efficiency in everything suddenly finding it lacking in his own body. One who looked for order and perfection in everything around him now faced with imperfection everytime he looked in the mirror. What would that do to someone like him?

"How are things Elena?"

She looked up, startled out of her revelry.

"Things sir?"

"Things." He gestured with an open hand around the room- "The Turks. My loyal department of General Affairs."

"Oh- very well, thank you sir."

He waited for an elaboration from her, when none was forthcoming he tried another question-

"What about Tseng? Are you happy with his leadership of late?"

"Yes sir," Elena paused. Rufus' lips thinned in what could be considered exasperation. Feeling suddenly awkward Elena pressed on, she owed it to Tseng to offer up more detail though she was having trouble coming up with the right words.

"He treats us well sir" Rufus tilted his chin and looked her square in the eye. "He-he cares about his job sir. He really does. He's very loyal to the company..." She trailed off, her feelings threatening to run away from her.

Rufus continued to eye Elena. When she said nothing more he smiled briefly-

"He speaks highly of you Elena."

Elena looked up, eyes widening in surprise.

"Really?"

"Oh yes," Rufus' smile was as thick and sugary as treacle, "you should be proud."

She smiled then, for the first time in days. Practically beamed, cheeks flushing with warmth- Tseng was proud of her!

The smile faltered however when she caught Rufus watching. His expression was a strange one, face tilted away he was considering her side-on, eyes narrowing slightly at her reaction. Quickly Elena looked away, feeling the colour on her cheeks rise all the more.

Rufus' gaze wandered off, being drawn once again to the chaos that was Reno's desk. Picking up an old coffee mug he took one brief look inside before quickly pushing it away.

Still he stayed- dear Gods Tseng where the hell are you?

Elena searched desperately for something to say. A second ago she might have offered him coffee but the sight of Reno's science experiment had put paid to that particular option.

"I have my report here sir if you'd like to see it."

What?! Oh hell no- why did she just come out with that? It was only a draft- it would still require sleepless hours of rereading and editing before it could even be considered for submission to the president, and here she was offering the damn thing to Rufus here and now!

"Hmmm, what?" He seemed somewhat uncharacteristically distracted for a moment, forehead creasing slightly as he registered her words. "Oh yes, very good. Why don't you summarise it for me?"

Summarise? Was this a blessing or a curse?

"Er, yes, of course sir." Elena snatched up the bundle of paper from her desk- the pages not even bound together yet. For a few panicked seconds she shuffled through the notes, trying to make some sense out of the jumble of words in front of her. When she finally spoke her speech came out in a monotone rush, stumbling over the sentences quicker than she could form them.

"I pulled the files of all known mako engineers and reactor technicians employed by the corporation up until the meteor incident. Afraid records were a little shambolic, er... some are off the radar, no record of them after the destruction of Midgar. A handful defected to WRO. Ah.. still a fair proportion are still around, guess they had trouble looking for jobs elsewhere, ha, ha!

"...Erm, yes, most are living in Edge or Junon. Should be easy enough to get hold of. Er, what else?.." She creased the papers in her hands trying to sort through them. "Ah yes, land ownership- you remember you asked me about.... that, yes! Records show that the former President commissioned the original building of Rocket Town as a base for engineers during the ongoing Space Development program. The land within and around the area was purchased by the company for that very purpose and hasn't changed hands since as far as I can make out. Closest neighbour is a landowner by the name of Ingham, made his fortune in materia trading and land development back in..."

Elena trailed off; Rufus didn't appear to be paying attention. Instead he looked to be staring outward at nothing, good eye glazed over so that it appeared to resemble his blind one. Elena's first thought was that she was boring him, until she noticed the pale sheen his complexion had taken, how shallow his breathes had become and the heaviness with which he leant against the desk. He looked to be in pain.

There was a moment of silence before Rufus appeared to notice that Elena had stopped talking. Blinking he looked up and turned to face her. Elena half opened her mouth to ask if he was okay but managed to snatch back the words just in time. No doubt Rufus would not appreciate it if she drew attention to any sign of difficulty or weakness on his part.

Instead she attempted a smile, a light chirpy grin which came out as forced and fake as it really was. In return Rufus simply scowled defensively, angry at being caught out, and by an employee no less. Pushing himself off the desk he stood up to his full height.

"Thank you Elena," he muttered dryly. "I look forward to reading the rest of your report later. Tell Tseng I would like to see him when he returns."

And with that he turned and walked out of the office, Elena unable to think of anything to say in reply as she watched him go.


	5. Chapter 5

_Au note: I'm bored of meetings. This story needs a kick up the ass! Still, move to fast and it'll lose out on plot._

_I'm changing the certificate rating to 'T' to be on the safe side._

"Well someone will have to go." Rufus pressed the tips of his fingers together to form a spire and pressed them against his lips meditatively. Across the other side of the desk Tseng fidgeted slightly before speaking up-

"I could always..." His offer died on his lips as Rufus raised an eyebrow in response before shaking his head curtly.

"You? No. You're better off here for the time being. Someone needs to stay and look after the fort. Besides, this will be a business meeting, it will require a little... decorum."

"Decorum sir" Tseng looked back stone-faced, he'd heard this line before.

"Decorum, business-etiquette, saviness, whatever you care to call it."

"..."

"Not that I don't appreciate the skills you bring to the table of course Tseng. Better that we all play to our own strengths." Rufus flung a slightly patronising smile at the head of the Turks. Tseng remained tight-lipped and said nothing.

"Damn it. Looks like I'll just have to go." Rufus sighed dramatically as if the decision was a reluctant resignation on his part. Twisting his chair he turned to look out at the scene of the city below the window, purposefully avoiding the eye of his shocked subordinate.

"You sir?"

"Yes me."

"... Are you sure you'd be up to it?"

"I'm not an invalid yet if that's what you're implying."

"No of course not."

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air of the office. Rufus continued to look down over the streets of Edge. He could see the Meteor Memorial up ahead, the traffic swirling around it like a whirlpool. Further into the distance the hazy silhouette of the old ruined Midgar could just be made out above the pollution tinted sky. He'd barely been further than the Healin Lodge since his injuries; part of him was itching to get away from this city.

"You'll need protection of course; certain people may not be too welcoming." Tseng had one particular gun-armed man in mind.

Rufus turned slightly away from the window, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Of course yes, put Reno on it. No wait- actually make it Rude, I'm not sure if I could cope with travelling across an entire continent with Reno for company."

"Actually sir..." Noting the hesitancy in Tseng's voice Rufus turned fully around to face him.

"Reno and Rude are still working on the previous assignment you gave them. The recruitment programme."

"Oh yes of course, forgot about that." Rufus muttered irritably, "well who IS available?"

***

Elena looked about despairingly. The office was the complete opposite to the empty abandoned wasteground it had felt like a week ago. For the past few days a constant stream of people had been flowing in and out of it, the vast majority faces she had never seen before.

Across the room a young girl sat waiting to be interviewed by Reno. Pale and thin, greasy hair falling lankly across her face, she nevertheless looked like someone you wouldn't want to mess with. Eyes darting around the office, taking in every action and detail it didn't take long for the girl to clock Elena's gaze and glare back fiercely in response. Life on the streets of Edge it seemed had already provided half the training towards becoming a Turk.

'_So young' _thought Elena as she turned back to her computer screen and tried to focus. The girl couldn't be more than seventeen or eighteen, _'when did I start feeling old?'_ Elena wondered glumly. _'Out with the old in with the new, is that the idea? Oh stop it Elena, don't be so damn melancholy!'_

"Elena." Tseng strode purposefully into the room, ignoring the milling applicants. "My office."

Surprised Elena stood up, straightening her jacket as she followed her superior into the side office.

"Close the door behind you." Tseng settled down into the chair behind his desk and gestured for Elena to sit down also. Taking a seat she looked up expectantly. Rather than speak immediately Tseng seemed to study her for a moment, eyes narrowing as if searching for something in her face. Feeling a little like a specimen under analysis Elena fought the urge to look away and returned his gaze with what she hoped was a calm levelled-faced expression.

Suddenly breaking eye contact Tseng looked away and began speaking in the deadpan professional voice he always put on when talking shop.

"The President is planning a trip to the Western Continent. He wishes to see the layout of the situation in regards to the oilfields first hand as well as make enquiries into potential business ventures. I've recommended you to be assigned to protection for the duration of the trip."

"Me sir?"

Tseng looked at her, features softening slightly.

"Of course, if you would rather decline the mission, no one will press-"

"No sir!" Elena spoke a little too abruptly. True the responsibility of looking after the President's life filled every inch of her mind with anxiety and trepidation, but at the same time turning down the assignment was unthinkable- she had to appear strong.

"Good," Tseng gave her a small reassuring smile, "you leave the end of the week."

***

"Any tips?"

Elena knocked back the amber liquid at the bottom of the heavyset glass, wincing as the alcohol burned the back of her throat. Whiskey was not her usual drink of choice but desperate times called for desperate measures. Around her swirled the dukebox music and other background noises of the bar.

"Yeah, don't piss him off." Reno offered helpfully.

"Speak only when spoken to." Said Rude steadily.

"What, how the hell's she s'pose to manage that yo?"

Elena moaned despairingly and dropped her head into her arms. Reno glanced down at her before rolling his eyes and pondering the question some more.

"Don't leave him unsupervised on any half-constructed high-rises."

"What?" Elena's reply was muffled by the sleeve of her jacket as she failed to raise her head off the bar counter.

"Nothing, forget it."

"Oh Gaia, what the hell am I doing?"

"Ah, you'll be fine- have faith in yourself." Reno grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her for emphasis, "heh, heh- who'd have thought it; our little 'Laney, all grown up and playing bodyguard to the Prez. Kinda brings a tear to your eye!"

"Screw off Reno!"

"Heh, heh. No seriously yo, you'll be fine. Just don't let him mind f**ck with ya!"

"Mind f**k?"

"Yeah, he gets a kick out of it. Part of his "I am considerably smarter than thou" crap. Just keep a strong head. I myself was impervious to it, but I can see a vulnerable little soul like yourself getting really screwed up by him."

Elena's reply was more a groan than an articulation.

Reno grinned across the top of the blonde head to his partner. Rude just shook his head in mock sympathy. Stretching his neck across the bar Reno shouted down towards the barmaid-

"Yo, we need three more shots down here. Make 'em doubles!"


	6. Chapter 6

_Au note: Thanks for all the great reviews guys! Keep 'em coming- they're what keeps me going!_

Elena stood on the roof of the Shin-Ra building, a small travelling case sitting by her feet. The morning was chilly and gray and she'd been out there for several minutes already, the cold starting to seep into her bones. Pulling her arms around her chest she hugged herself in an effort to stay warm.

Below her the city appeared uncharacteristically serene, half its inhabitants still tucked up safely in bed. Elena envied them; she guessed it must be something to do with Rufus' professional resolve that made him insist upon such an early start. Still there were many a night when the light in his office stayed on long after the rest of the building had shut down, Elena wondered when the President found time to sleep or indeed do anything outside of work.

In the centre of the roof a Shin-Ra helicopter sat idly, the pilot ensconced comfortably inside. It was with some chagrin that Elena noted his failure to open the helicopter doors for her, instead leaving her to freeze her ass off outside. Across the way another helipad attendant stood, back against the wind, not paying the least attention to the young Turk.

It was with an odd mixture of relief and anxiety that Elena finally saw the President step out to join her at the helipad, white suit ruffling slightly in the breeze. Standing to attention Elena forced her arms down to her sides and tried to adopt a professional stance. Rufus merely looked her up and down, taking in her thin shivering frame and pale complexion; so this was his new bodyguard? Nodding he gestured towards the helicopter, the doors of which had miraculously opened.

"Shall we?"

He stepped aside to allow her entry into the passenger hold, the rotors of the helicopter already starting to stir into life. Elena struggled inside, sitting herself down awkwardly on the far side seat. She watched as Rufus climbed in to join her, graceful despite the impediment of his cane. The attendant quickly loaded the cases onto the helicopter before stepping back. To Elena's surprise Rufus did not wait for the attendant to close the door but instead reached back to take hold of the handle himself and slammed it shut.

The din of the engine swelled into a roar as the blades worked their way up to full speed. Elena tensed as the helicopter lifted itself off the ground, the sudden feeling of weightlessness leaving her with butterflies in her stomach. Rufus in contrast appeared quite calm during the take-off, paying more attention to smoothing out the creases in his suit than to the events happening outside.

Elena watched him in silence, _'Speak only when spoken to'_, of all the advice Reno and Rude had dolled out to her the other night at the bar she had decided that this was probably the most valuable. _Just keep your mouth shut and you can get through this!_

"Remind me Elena" she jumped at the sudden address, eyes blinking in surprise. Rufus did not look up, his gaze focused on his wrists as he went about readjusting the cuffs of his shirt, "this is the first time you have been assigned to me as a bodyguard, no?"

"Yes sir" she clipped.

"Did Reno and Rude fill you in on the drill?"

She hesitated, "More or less."

He smiled at this, finally straightening his head to face her. "The role is quite a straightforward one. To be honest your presence on this trip is somewhat superfluous, we will not be venturing into any high risk situations. Tseng can sometimes act like a clucking mother hen during these expeditions."

Elena could not help but allow a small smirk to pull at the corners of her lips at this portrayal of her superior. Rufus noted the amusement flitting across her face and smiled back in return.

"If anything I fear you will be bored on this trip. The number of dull meetings you will be forced to sit through."

"On the contrary sir, I would be happy to attend. I would like to get a better understanding of how the company operates."

Rufus cocked his head to the side, "What's this? A Turk who professes to have an interest in business matters. Well, wonders will never cease!"

Elena smiled again and lowered her eyes bashfully. This was going better than she had expected. Fuelled with a newfound boldness she ventured to ask her own question.

"Where exactly are we going to sir?"

"What, you mean no one told you?"

"It was all a little rushed" answered Elena, recalling the hectic, flustered preparations that had gone in to organising the President's first venture beyond the confines of Edge in several months.

"Junon first, I've a long overdue review to make of the port and its assets. Then on to the Western continent, I would like to see these oil fields I've heard so much about for myself."

Elena felt the colour drain from her face. Was he basing the entire trip on her reports from the region? What if she had misrepresented the situation, what then? Would he blame her for a wasted expedition?

Swallowing she opened her mouth to speak again only to see that the President had turned away and was currently pulling some files out of the briefcase beside him. Dropping her head Elena looked down at the short stubby nails of her fingers, resisting the urge to start biting them as was her habit when nervous. Braving a glance up she found Rufus to be completely immersed in the papers in front of him, no longer paying her the slightest jot of attention. Letting her eyes wander to the paper in his hands Elena took in a short sharp intake of air as she recognised her own report. Feeling suddenly nauseous she turned quickly to look out the small window of the helicopter, focusing all her attention on studying the dull landscape of rolling gray clouds below her.

***

The weather was little improved upon arrival in Junon. Upon touchdown Rufus stepped down out of the helicopter and cast a critical eye over the airstrip. The endless blanket of gray cloud stretching overhead only appeared to accentuate the empty desolate appearance of what had once been a strategic Shin-Ra base. Gone were the great airships and factions of military personnel that had once filled the port, only a small cluster of nervous looking Shin-Ra executives in suits were present as a welcoming party.

"President Shinra, sir" one of the suits stepped forward extending a hand and grinning stupidly, "We're honoured to have you pay us a visit at our little base here, I hope you find everything to your satisfaction-"

"Rufus", Rufus muttered curtly, "President Shinra was my father."

"Oh, oh yes of course sir. President Rufus sir!" The party strode quickly across the weather beaten airstrip, making it half-way to the entrance of the Shin-Ra barracks before Rufus noticed an absence in amongst the jostling suits surrounding him. Stopping abruptly and turning to look back at the helipad he spotted the small blonde struggling to extract the travelling cases from inside the helicopter.

"Elena!" he shouted briskly from across the length of the airstrip causing the blonde head to snap up, "Leave the bags!" Twisting back around he continued his quick progress towards the central building, the entourage of executives following close behind along with the sounds of Elena's quick footfalls as she raced to catch-up.

"Stay close," he murmured under his breath to her when she finally appeared at his side, "that's your job."

***

Despite her insistence that she was keen to attend Rufus' meetings with the Junon staff come the afternoon Elena was feeling decidedly exhausted. The talks had rolled on for hours with Rufus showing little inclination to neither rest nor eat throughout the proceedings. Instead he had sat at the head of the conference table listening in silence as the execs rolled out lists of status reports and productivity figures. Though his face remained passive throughout and his words never rose beyond a calm, business-like manner Elena could detect a note of menace in the President's voice that only intensified as the meetings continued. Rufus was not pleased with what he saw.

Just when she felt it was never going to end Rufus abruptly adjourned the discussions, much to the relief of everyone present. Rising up from his chair the President quickly exited the room with Elena following at his heels. Though tired and hungry she didn't ask where they were going as they climbed the broad staircase to a higher level, she simply remained close as he had instructed her to do.

Their destination turned out to be the main observation platform. Walking between the rows of computers and display panels Rufus came to a halt in front of the velvet curtained windows, staring out into the ocean ahead. The bank of clouds that had hung around gloomily all day were now making up for their sombre presence. As the sun dropped low against the horizon its lengthening rays bounced and scattered off the surface of the clouds above and water below resulting in a spectacular sunset. The sky and ocean were bathed in pinks and oranges, the light glinting off the glass and metal of the city, casting its gentle aura upon the faces of the two figures quietly taking in the scene.

"What did you make of today's proceedings Elena?" Rufus enquired gently, not taking his eyes off the lazy rolling of the waves below.

"It was... interesting sir." She lied trying to sound chirpy despite her tired foggy mind.

"The whole place is a shambles" he muttered irritably, his teeth gritting in frustration. "I shouldn't have let it slide so."

"It isn't your fault sir." Elena stole a glance at his face, concerned at the growing darkness of his expression.

"Really? Whose is it then?" He asked sharply, almost sulkily.

_I thought you said self-pity was never a desirable trait. _Elena considered confronting Rufus with his own words but then thought better of it.

"It can be fixed." She suggested, keen to steer the conversation away from the self-deprecating spiral he seemed intent on following. "And you don't have to do it by yourself, there are others here to help you."

"You mean those cretins in wingtips downstairs?" he scoffed.

"No sir, there are good people, decent people under you." Elena tried to think of a specific name, "Tseng for example."

"Hmm" Rufus said nothing more though the scowl on his face remained. The familiar pain in his leg was reemerging once again and he did not feel in the mood to be lectured to by an employee.

A minute or so of silence passed in which neither spoke. Turning to look back out of the window Elena watched the last glimmers of the sun as it dropped beneath the waves. The city port below appeared drenched in gold.

"It's a beautiful view" she sighed, more to herself than to anyone else.

"I preferred it with the Sister Ray outside." His voice was still thick with distemper but at least he was maintaining conversation.

"Really?" Elena murmured, still taken in by the view of the ocean.

"Of course," Rufus answered blithely, "it was after all a great feat of weapons engineering, it cost billions of Gil to construct." There was a hint of pride in his voice as he said these words, his hand reaching up to flick back his hair in a gesture that Elena had not seem him use in a long time. Trying not to smile she attempted to appear nonchalant.

"I guess... Still don't you think it was a bit, y'know." Elena shrugged non-committedly. Rufus tilted his head towards her, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"No, I don't know. Please enlighten me Elena."

"Well, I guess some might consider it a little..." she pursed her lips trying to come up with the right word, "..boastful."

"Boastful?"

"Hmm-mm", Elena was careful not to meet Rufus' eye, keeping her gazed fixed on the horizon. Where exactly did she think she was going with this?

Rufus looked away, a slight frown creasing his features. "The cannon was never intended as an extravagance, its design was purely functional."

"Oh yes, I'm sure." By now Elena was fighting to keep the grin off her face. This was the kind of conversation she should be having with Reno and Rude down the bar, not with her boss. Still, part of her was relishing Rufus' obvious confusion in the matter; it was not every day that _she _should be the one foxing _him_. She couldn't resist one more push.

"Its performance wasn't up to much sir."

"_Performance?!"_

"Yes."

Rufus was clearly growing irritated by now. "The Sister-Ray was one of the most powerful artilleries ever built, it took down not one but two WEAPONs!"

Elena shrugged again, "True, but you always had to give it time to 'reload' after each go."

Rufus stared at her wide eyed. Elena looked down at the toes of her shoes, pulling her lips tight together. With a small scowl Rufus turned away from her, looking back towards the ocean. Three seconds of silence passed between them before he whipped his head round again to face her.

"That's it, out with it officer! If you have something to say let's hear it!"

"Oh sir, it's nothing." Elena broke into a wide-faced grin, "it's just, well.." she tried for another tactic, "It's like Cloud Strife."

"..."

"..and his sword."

"Sword?"

"Yes sir. His sword, why so big?"

The President frowned again as she looked at him encouragingly.

"Don't you think it might be seen as, well ... compensation?"

"Compen-? Oh!" comprehension lighted Rufus' eyes for a split-second before he sniffed and turned away.

"Oh yes, very amusing I'm sure." He muttered curtly.

Elena covered her mouth to hide her giggle. "Oh sir, I'm sorry, I-""

"No, no", he rolled his eyes up to the ceiling in an exaggerated gesture, "I never took you for a psycho-analyst Elena." Though he acted put-off there was a light-hearted airiness to his voice that suggested otherwise. She giggled again.

Crossing his arms in front of him Rufus stole a sly sideways glance at his bodyguard- "Still, I do not want to imagine what you must therefore conclude regarding myself and the cannon."

It was Elena's turn to look stunned; her face froze in horror before she started back-pedalling rapidly.

"_Oh no sir, I wasn't implying-. Not YOU sir!"_

He held up a hand to silence her protests. "No, no please. I am mortified enough as it is."

Rufus smiled for the second time that day as he took in Elena's shocked expression, her tiny mouth gaping wordlessly. Forgetting the despondency that had been threatening to overwhelm him a minute ago he turned and started making his way back to the stairwell, suddenly aware of how hungry he was. "Don't dawdle Elena," he called out behind his shoulder to the figure that remained rooted to the spot, "stay close!"


	7. Chapter 7

_Big wave to everyone, thanks for all the great reviews, you lot are the best! I'm glad you liked the last chapter, I was worried it might be considered a little puerile *grins*. It's hard to get under the skin of the characters, Rufus especially, bringing out the humanity is difficult._

_Enjoy... x_

Dawn over Junon. Well, dawn behind Junon to be more exact. Given that the city was almost entirely West facing, what light did appear over the horizon only served to cast long, dark shadows across the deserted streets. Out towards the harbour the sea glittered slightly under the first rays but still maintained a dark, leaden cast. It gave the odd impression of appearing both calm and ominous all in one go.

Elena ran alone through the streets. Other than the odd stray dog she appeared to be the only living soul in the city. Still, this was the only time she had to herself. For the past few days her role had been to shadow the President, trying to stay alert and ready for danger throughout a constant cycle of meetings and inspections, followed by yet more meetings. Elena had come to relish this short hour or two each morning when she was free to escape the confines of the Shin-Ra building and catch up on some basic training. So it was that she jogged steadily across the city, her light footfalls beating a rhythm against the slow rolling of the waves below. The sharp wintry air made her throat sting and eyes water but she kept on going, the cold helping to clear the fog from her mind.

Back at the Junon head-quarters the President of the Shin-Ra corporation was already up. Despite the early hour Rufus was fully dressed in his trademark white suit, patiently awaiting the return of his bodyguard and the beginnings of the day's proceedings. Over the course of the past week or so that they had spent at Junon the President and the Turk had fallen into a routine of sorts. At the start of each day she would head out for her run while he would remain in the confines, and relative safety, of the Presidential suite, catching up with the world events via the various newspapers delivered to the apartment and generally preparing for the day's business.

This morning however Rufus was staring out of his window meditatively, the pile of newspapers left untouched on the coffee table. Looking down at the city he found himself wondering where amongst the sprawl of streets and docks below his young bodyguard was currently located. How far did she go each day before turning and making her way back to him?

Though he would never admit it he envied her freedom. Even before the WEAPON attack Rufus had had little taste of the independence most others took for granted. Under the presidency of his father he had spent a good part of his adolescent years and early twenties at an 'extended assignment' in Junon, a situation which added up to little more than a glorified house arrest. Even when his own time finally came Rufus found the role of president could often be more of a shackle than a liberation. Not that he had not revelled in his new found power of course, but the fact remained that with all eyes turned to him, watching as he took up the reigns of the Shin-ra Corporation at arguably its darkest hour, Rufus had had little chance to focus his life on anything other than the interests of the company. So it was, that with a sharp tang of bitterness, almost resentfulness, Rufus imagined the young woman currently moving freely and anonymously through the streets of the town.

Rufus shook his head to rid himself of these thoughts. '_Melancholy again_' he thought angrily_._ The sound of a door opening across the hallway alerted him to Elena's return. She would be a few minutes yet, enough time for him to regain his composure against this slight lapse in concentration.

***

Half an hour later both were sitting in the suite. Rufus had finally picked up a copy of the _'Edge Times' _and was currently perusing the financial section. Across from him Elena sat nursing a cup of coffee while trying to sneak a glance at the day's headlines. It had taken several days of the President patiently offering Elena coffee from the cafetiere each morning before she finally started taking the initiative to help herself. He hoped in time she would start to do the same with the newspapers rather than continue trying to read them upside down from across the other side of the table. For now he just made sure the periodicals were positioned within her reaching distance.

A light rap on the door drew Rufus' attention away from the article he was reading. He frowned slightly at the interruption; Elena was already with him in the room, who else would be disturbing them this early in the morning? Flipping down the corner of the paper Rufus exchanged a glance with his bodyguard. At the unspoken prompt Elena slowly stood up, hand moving towards the weapon at her hip.

"Who is it?" she asked brightly, giving no hint of the imminent danger being directed towards the person on the otherside of the door.

"Er, it's Gibbs Miss" came a stuttering voice.

Rufus gave a dismissive snort and went back to reading the paper. Dropping her defensive stance Elena strode over to the door and opened it to allow the Shin-Ra manager entrance. Gibbs flashed her a goofy grin as he side-stepped to get inside, a pile of documents clutched in his pudgy hands.

"Good morning Miss, how are you today?"

Elena returned a half-hearted smile, despite his apparent cheerful demeanour the signs of stress were all too clearly etched on the man's face. Days of having to answer to the President appeared to have aged the poor man by several years, leaving him with a tired, gray-faced pallor.

"And Mr. President, good day to you too!" Rufus gave no sign of acknowledgement, just continued to read the paper.

Hesitating for only the briefest of moments Gibbs continued blithely on, pulling some papers free from the pile held to his chest and brandishing them with a flourish.

"Here are the latest import figures you requested sir."

"Much appreciated, I'll read them later." Rufus answered, notably failing to look up. Gibbs hesitated as he scanned the table for a convenient place to leave the documents. Finding none he turned to Elena and, with another toothy smile, extended the papers towards her. _What am I a secretary now? _Elena thought as she quietly accepted the notes.

Gibbs looked down at his young superior, fidgeting slightly as he considered his next sentence.

"Does the President still intend to make his inspection of the city defences today? It really is the most rotten weather outside, horribly cold!"

"Yes the President still intends to make his inspection" Rufus answered, a sarcastic edge creeping into his voice, "make sure all the necessary arrangements have been made beforehand."

"Yes sir, very good sir." Gibbs answered, his face sagging slightly. Suddenly, eyes widening in an exaggerated gesture of just having remembered something he delved into his jacket pocket, pulling out a small expensive looking card.

"Oh sir," he cried out in an excited voice, "Before I forget! Word must have gotten out about the President's er, presence, ha-ha, here in Junon. You have received an invitation! A most auspicious event-"

"Who from?" Rufus interrupted curtly.

"A Mr. Forbes sir, over in Costa del Sol, a highly respected-"

"Yes, thank you." Snapped Rufus haughtily, "Please be kind enough to send Forbes my apologies, I'm afraid I have too much work to attend to here to be able to accept his invitation. I will be remaining in Junon for the foreseeable future." At this last sentence Rufus finally looked up from his paper, fixing Gibbs with an icy stare.

"Yes sir, very good sir." Gibbs parroted again, the dejection on his face increasing in magnitude. Begging the President's leave he shuffled out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"Ignoramus, thinks he can get rid of me with a party invite." Rufus snapped the moment the door swung shut. Elena wasn't sure if Rufus was muttering to her or just to himself. After a moment's silence she decided to make a response-

"Who's Mr. Forbes?" She asked, dropping back into her seat.

"An idiot."

"You seem to encounter a lot of those." She mused, almost without thinking. Rufus looked up at her, eyes narrowing.

"The man is a professional socialite." He answered in a slow deliberate tone, "spends his entire life planning these ridiculous parties and seeing how many illustrious big-wigs he can get on the guest list. The events are occasionally useful as a networking tool but are generally most tedious affairs."

"Big-wigs, sir?" Elena echoed, her hazel eyes opening wide in a faux-innocent expression. Rufus threw her another narrow eyed glance before turning back to the paper.

"You're being deliberately difficult this morning Elena, what's gotten in to you?" He sniffed, staring down at the lines of print in front of him.

"I've barely said a word sir!" She remonstrated.

A non-committal "hmphh" was all she got in reply.

***

Elena stood hunched on the freezing concourse, staring up at what felt like the one hundredth pair of artillery guns. As Gibbs had predicted the weather was indeed 'rotten'.

She took another routine scan around the area; as far as she could discern there were no monsters lurking half way up the town fortifications, no terrorists about to vault over the rooftops. She looked over at her charge standing a few feet away; Rufus looked almost as bored as she was, listening and occasionally nodding jadedly as Gibbs prattled on incessantly at his side. On the plus side he did not appear to be in any immediate life-threatening danger, indeed Gibb's entrance at breakfast had seen the height of Elena's bodyguard duties so far that day. Sighing she gave herself an ironic pat on the back_ 'good job Elena, way to go!' _Of course she was aware that the fact that she had not been called into action should be taken as a positive, the President was safe and that was all that mattered. But still, the tedium was really starting to get to her. Rufus had warned her of course, but nothing had prepared her for the sheer boredom of sitting in on meeting after dull meeting during which she was not expected to even contribute.

Stuffing her hands in her pockets in an attempt to retain some feeling in them Elena allowed her mind to wander back to the comment Rufus had made earlier that morning. Had she been difficult? Not really, maybe she had shown a slight bravado but that was all. Still, even that could be considered surprising. If her past self of a few weeks back had witnessed her conversation with the President, or indeed their discussion of the cannon the other week, she would no doubt have been horrified. Elena stuck her bottom lip out at the thought, it was kinda odd- she wondered what was behind it. _'Nerves'_ she decided, _'you always used to rattle your mouth off when you were nervous', _she paused in her thoughts, _'used to... '._

Or maybe it was just boredom. '_Boredom or nerves- either way it's unprofessional!' _Tseng would never talk back to the President like that, Reno would have but then again Reno wasn't really a role model Elena wished to aspire to. _'Maybe that's it', _she thought, scuffing her heel against the tarmac, _'maybe I'm just reacting to working with someone who isn't as straight-laced as Tseng or as foul-mouthed as Reno.' _She didn't really count Rude, after all their average conversations only tended to be about five words long.

Mulling over this new thought Elena let her eyes float once again towards Rufus' general direction. Shoulders still hunched she found herself staring at the President's shoes, after a second she mustered the energy to raise her gaze, drawing it sluggishly up his suit. _'At least white shows up sniper beams well' _she mused. She imagined the small laser dot appearing on the President's back, there, right there between the shoulder blades_. _What would she do in that situation? She'd probably have to take a running dive in front of him, act the human shield, catch the bullet, all slow motion-like. Getting caught up in the daydream Elena allowed her mind to elaborate some more. _'What would happen next?' _She imagined Rufus turning at the sound of the shot, looking down to see the body of his loyal, fearless employee, his face a mixture of shock and deep admiration. _'And the others?' _Tseng would be devastated, heart-broken, _'yeah!' _she thought, a smile forming at the idea. Reno would be struck dumb by the news, lost for words. Rude would act the tough guy, but behind those shades he'd be all teary eyed at the thought of his fallen comrade. _'Brave Elena!' _they'd wail, _'oh brave, heroic Elena! If only we'd appreciated her more when she was still amongst us. Will there ever be a more loyal- ? OH SHIT!' _

Elena snapped out of her daydream with a jolt. At some point during her revelry Rufus had turned around and was now staring right back at her, his eyes a mixture of curiosity and amusement. Though she couldn't say for sure how long she had been gazing glassy eyed at the President, his expression seemed to suggest it had been a while.

Feeling herself blush at being caught out Elena immediately snapped her head away, feigning a sudden interest in the building defence shields Gibbs was currently pointing out. All of five seconds passed before she caved; flicking her eyes back to see if the President was still observing her. He wasn't.

***

"You were bored today Elena" Rufus spoke the words more as a statement than a question. They were back at the head-quarters, the day's work now over. Pouring himself a drink, a tumbler of some deep amber-coloured liquor, he turned to face her, rolling the glass slowly in his hand.

"No, sir" Elena lied, trying to appear chirpy. Rufus squared her with a sceptical look until she dropped her head. "Maybe a little" she admitted under her breath.

Smiling he tilted the bottle he had just helped himself from, looking at her questioningly. Elena shook her head politely. Easing into a chair Rufus sipped the alcohol before continuing. "My apologies," he said gently, "this trip is probably a far cry from the assignments you are used to as a Turk."

"No sir." She piped up again, trying to appear enthusiastic about her work in front of the boss, "It's nice to be out of the line of fire for once. And the meetings are really quite interes...ting...." Elena trailed off as Rufus swivelled his eyes to fix her with another dull set look- she wasn't fooling him.

Feeling suddenly embarrassed she dropped her head again. Rufus continued to watch her for another second or so before settling further back into the chair, a reflective look on his face.

"Tell me Elena" he spoke nonchalantly. "How did you come to be a Turk in the first place?"

Elena knitted her brow in confusion, had he forgotten?

"They were short on manpower after Reno was injured at the Sector 7 plate, I-"

"No," he interrupted her, "I mean what made you want to be a Turk in the first place, how did you end up on the training programme?"

"Oh" Elena looked down at her lap and clasped her hands in front of her. "My father taught in the military academy. My elder sister joined the Turks before me so I-"

"Ah" he interrupted her again, pressing a finger to his lips as he smiled with apparent amusement, "nepotism will get you far won't it?" he chuckled softly, looking up to the ceiling "I should know."

"It wasn't nepotism sir", she spoke up quickly wanting to clear her name even as he himself admitted to being tainted with the same brush. "I wanted to prove myself, it wasn't like that."

"Of course," she looked up half-expecting to see a sarcastic expression on his face, but the gaze he returned appeared genuine, "I do not doubt the seriousness with which you apply yourself."

Elena blushed and looked away. She tried to remain quiet but curiosity quickly got the better of her and she spoke up-

"And you sir?"

"Me?" He hiked an eyebrow at her quizzically.

"Did you want to be president? Or was it just... filial duty?"

He looked away, his face taking on a serious countenance, fingers once again pressing to lips.

"I grew up with the role." He answered quietly. "It never occurred to me to question it."

"But you didn't have to" she pressed, her excitement blinding her from the stormy expression that had begun to gather on his features, "after the fall of Midgar you could have just walked away. You didn't have to continue. Why did you?" She was breathless by now, words coming out of her mouth in a rush. A small logical part of her brain screamed at her to shut up and stop interrogating the boss but yet she found she couldn't stop. She wanted to know.

He refused to meet her eye, continuing to stare stoically ahead. For a while nothing was said and she believed he wasn't going to answer her questions, when suddenly his voice materialised low and soft-

"What else was there to do?"

"But you-"

"No!" the vehemence in his voice stopped her short. "I was not about to be the one to allow the corporation to crumble around me. Why should I fail where my father and his predecessors before him had succeeded?"

"But you hated your father." She whispered half-frightened.

"What's that got to do with anything?" he snorted with sardonic amusement, "yes I hated him. And no doubt my son will hate me in turn. But he will still take up the mantle and he will still be president after me. That is the way it is."

"Son?"

"Oh yes," he finally shifted his face to look at her, "every empire needs an heir apparent."

Elena could not think of a fitting response to this. She had never thought Rufus might consider such matters but of course it made perfect sense. She tried in vain to picture what kind of wife he would take but no image came to mind.

She looked back at him mutely. This was as close to an outburst she had ever witnessed the President make, she hadn't been expecting it. By the looks of things neither had he; after holding her gaze confrontationally for a split second he suddenly backed off, dropping his own eyes with a slight frown of confusion before taking another sip from his glass.

"Anyway," he murmured, more to himself than to Elena, "enough of that."

***

"What do you mean _'not here'_?!" the commander of WRO looked stunned for a moment, staring wild-eyed at the calmer, more composed man in front of him. The two WRO officers flanking either side of Reeve exchanged uncertain glances, shifting their weapons awkwardly.

"The President is away on company business, if you have any queries I would be happy to address them." Tseng looked dead-eyed into Reeve's frustrated expression.

"Well where the hell is he? It's imperative that I speak to him!" Reeve nearly yelled.

"Like I said, President Rufus has left me in charge for the time being. If you have any business with the Shin-Ra Corporation please direct it through me."

"Just tell me where he is!"

"I'm sorry, I'm not at liberty to divulge that information." Tseng answered gently, his expression set, showing no reaction to the small torrent of rage building up on the other side of the desk.

Reeve scowled before drawing himself up to his full height. "Okay fine," he muttered, his voice constrained to a low growl, "I need access to whatever files the company might have on something called the 'Deep Ground' project, it's urgent."

"I'm sorry, it's outside my jurisdiction to allow you access to such files."

"I thought you said you were in charge!" Reeve exploded, his short-lived restraint shattering against Tseng's brick wall.

Tseng merely tilted his head slightly, "I am." He answered matter-of-factly, "Within certain boundaries of course."

Reeve sighed, dropping his head before snapping it back up, glaring at the Turk suspiciously, "So you admit those files exist?"

"I am not at liberty to neither confirm nor deny the existence of said files."

"Oh forget it!" Reeve snapped preparing to leave, "Damn Shin-Ra, always the same! I thought you guys were s'pose to have reformed!"

"If you would like to return at a later date I'm sure the President would be happy to address your concerns personally."

"Oh don't worry," Reeve growled, turning to exit the office, the two WRO officers following behind him, "I'll be back soon enough!"

Tseng watched as the trio strode angrily out of his office. Beyond the glass partition he saw Reno wave coyly to the WRO commander as he passed by.

"Bye Tuesti, always nice to have ya' visit!"

"Go to hell Reno!"

A wave of barely suppressed snickers moved through the Turks' office, the new recruits clearly enjoying their superior's banter.

Tseng leant back in his chair, reflecting for a moment. Sitting up straight again he blinked a couple of times, brushing non-existent dust off his jacket before slowly reaching for the phone.

_AU note: The 'nepotism' line spoken by Rufus was actually a putdown doled out by one of my friends to a drunken undergrad at a club. He was trying to impress her at the time with stories of how daddy was going to make him head of marketing once he graduated._


	8. Chapter 8

_AU note: Hi all, happy new year! Sorry for the lateness of this update. The usual Xmas distractions as well as going away for new years meant I haven't had much time to spare over the last few weeks. Plus my chapters seem to be getting longer and longer as the story progresses._

_Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter. Once again all reviews welcome!_

Elena awoke with a start, a loud shrieking noise piercing her eardrums. Blinking as her tired mind struggled to catch up to the assault on her senses she looked around her. For one horrific moment she did not recognise her surroundings, submerged as they were in the predawn dark she only registered them as foreign, different to her familiar room back in Edge. Heart jumping wildly in her chest Elena lay in a state of near paralysis, thinking herself back in that cold dreadful crater. Was the screaming noise therefore coming from herself? In her dreams that was almost always the case; she could not recall Tseng uttering so much as a cry during their time there.

Slowly the wave of panic receded as Elena became more fully awake. The unfamiliar shapes and shadows morphed into the small Junon barracks room she was staying in. The insistent shriek reduced to a rhythmic beeping. Turning with a heavy sigh Elena reached out to its source and turned off the alarm clock.

***

The rest of the morning for Elena had felt like a slow, drawn out recovery from this initial waking shock. The light, carefree spell that had given rise to daydreaming only the day before was now nowhere to be found. Instead Elena appeared pale and wan, feeling the same drained, empty feeling that had plagued her over the previous months rise up to claim her once again, filling her head, her eyes, her chest. She didn't try to fight it off, in fact she almost welcomed it. The emptiness was like a blanket wrapped tightly around her, comforting in its own way, yet at the same time restricting, almost suffocating the rest of her emotions.

Rufus in turn appeared quiet and introspective today. The President had barely said a word to Elena the entire morning. A small worried voice in her head questioned whether he might still be brooding over his outburst the other day, might he hold her responsible for it? But a stronger, louder voice told her not to worry, to be grateful even; this way the President was not bothering her but allowing her to remain for the time being in this quiet solitary state.

_*Riiinngg* *Riinngg*_

The sharp sound of a telephone suddenly materialised, breaking the thick silence of the room. Rufus picked up the handset, glancing down at it almost irritably. Damn shoddy Junon technology, didn't even give a caller ID, _anyone_ could be calling. Pressing the call accept button he held the phone to his ear and answered with a curt "Yes?"

He relaxed upon recognising the voice on the other end. "Ah Tseng, what is it?"

Hearing the name of her immediate superior Elena looked up, her interest finally roused. Tseng was phoning, she wondered why. Surely he wasn't checking up on her?

Rufus listened intently for a few seconds, brow furrowing in perplexity. "Really? When was this?"

Sensing Elena's gaze the President slowly twisted around to face her, phone still pressed against his ear as he listened to Tseng on the other end. He fixed Elena with a pertinent look which she held glassy eyed for a second or so before suddenly catching on. Blinking the Turk quickly rose from her chair before turning and exiting the room, closing the door behind her. Once outside Elena sighed lightly, letting her shoulders droop; Rufus obviously did not intend for her to be partisan to his conversations with her head of department.

Finally alone Rufus turned his attention back to the speaker on the other end of the phone.

"Nerve of the man, demanding private company files. I hope you sent him packing." Rufus tapped a forefinger against the surface of his desk thoughtfully.

"Yes sir," came Tseng's reply, "he said he would be back though. Seemed quite insistent."

"No doubt," Rufus mused, "well, just keep him at arm's length until I get back."

"Yes sir"

"Incidentally," Rufus said, leaning back in his chair, "_do _we have any information on this 'DeepGround'?"

"I've never heard of it sir," replied Tseng, "that's not to say the files don't exist of course, Hojo always had a number of pet projects on the go at any given time."

"Hmm," murmured Rufus, continuing to trace his finger against the wood contours of the desk, "might be worth checking up on. Have a dig around the archives, see if you can find any mention of it."

"A lot of the old corporation files were lost during the Midgar evacuation." Tseng noted.

"True, but still see what you can uncover. Any bargaining chips we can use against Tuesti would be useful to have at this stage."

"Very good sir."

"And how are things otherwise?" Rufus asked, allowing the conversation to move on to more general matters now that the immediate business had been dealt with.

"Not much to report. Rude and Reno have their hands full with this new training regime."

"Ah yes," Rufus smiled with amusement, "I'm surprised they've shown the organisational skills to keep it going. How are the new recruits faring?"

From his desk Tseng looked outwards towards the rest of the Turk office. Though the new recruits had recently vacated the office to go on more field work the carnage they had left in their wake was all too apparent. All in all he found Rude and Reno's ad hoc method of training slightly distressing, he preferred to keep out of it. ""They seem to be coping well, a couple of minor incidents but nothing too serious."

"Incidents?"

Tseng shrugged, "Fractured wrist during a training exercise, a little too much enthusiasm with a nightstick if I understand Reno rightly."

Rufus smiled wryly, "Well, as long as they don't damage too much company property in the process."

Safe from the President's scrutinising gaze Tseng allowed himself to roll his eyes at this comment. A typical Rufus-stance to take. Rather than press on he decided to change the subject.

"And you sir? How is Junon?"

"Miserable" Rufus humphed, "but I'm making progress slowly but surely. From a trading point of view Junon still has the potential to be a strategic port."

Tseng paused a moment "And your protection assignment sir, how is that working out?"

"Protection assignment? What, you mean Elena?" Rufus turned his eyes towards the window and the view of the ocean outside. "Fine enough I suppose. She is a little....." He paused to consider his choice of words. _Tenacious, withdrawn, exasperating; _all of this sprang to mind but none of it felt quite satisfactory. "...She's doing her job, that's all that counts." He eventually offered, half-heartedly.

Tseng was relieved; he'd been a little concerned about putting Elena forward for the assignment in the first place. '_Fine enough' _was to be considered a compliment when coming from Rufus Shinra, she must be doing well. "I'm glad to hear that sir" he answered.

"Hmm, well" the President replied, still a little absent-mindedly, "let me know about those reports."

"Yes sir."

Rufus hung up, replacing the phone in its cradle. Still looking out towards the ocean he raised a hand to his chin. So Reeve was still caught up chasing this DeepGround thing. The President of the Shin-Ra Corporation suddenly frowned, irritated with himself. What was he doing letting himself get mired in all these petit matters in Junon when the real reason for this expedition was still out there, across the other side of that vast expanse of water. Only a fool would continue to dawdle, especially when a major adversary to the venture was busy being distracted elsewhere. Action, action was what was called for- but to do what exactly?

He paused to consider for a few minutes, pinching the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger, fighting to think clearly in the face of this sudden wave of impatience. What was the plan again? It had been such a long time since Rufus had had to enter into negotiations or broker deals, as opposed to just making demands and seeing them fulfilled, that he had to stop and consider his approach. First step- scope the area, find potential allies in the venture, make contact.

Out of the blue an idea struck him. Turning to his desk, Rufus opened one of the drawers and extracted a file, Elena's second report into the West Continent oil fields. Flicking through the pages he scanned the text until he located the piece of information he was searching for. Re-affirming the facts in his head he smiled lightly before returning to the desk drawer and leafing through the rest of the paperwork contained therein. Not finding what he was searching for Rufus' smile quickly morphed into a frown. Pulling out the papers he scattered them across the desk, irritation mounting. Still coming up empty he turned his attention next to the collection of newspapers at the coffee table. Half-way through leafing through the stack it occurred to him to call for assistance. "Elena!" he shouted, half-looking up. Where on Gaia had that blasted Turk got herself to? "ELENA!"

Elena opened the door and re-entered the room. Confused she let her eyes dart around the room, taking in the scene. The desk appeared ransacked with documents strewn across the surface and the President seemed uncharacteristically animated, half crouched over the day's papers. What had Tseng said to him to get him into this state?

Swallowing nervously Elena looked down at her superior, "Sir?" she tried cautiously.

Rufus' head snapped up at the sound of her voice. "Ah, there you are!" he grumbled, "Forbes' invitation, where is it?"

Elena blinked. "What sir?"

"The invitation that came the other day, where did it go?"

"Is it not there sir?" She asked helplessly.

"Clearly not!" he snapped, standing up straight and brushing his hair out of his face in an irritated gesture. Elena could only look back wide-eyed, shocked to find herself at the receiving end of Rufus' short-temper.

"Maybe the waste-paper basket?" she suggested meekly.

"What?" Rufus turned and scanned the room. Spotting the item in question he picked it up and promptly upturned the contents onto the coffee table, Elena watching on open-mouthed.

"Ha!" he yelled after a moment rummaging through the paper detritus, flourishing a rather crumpled looking card. Twisting around he made his way to the desk, his find still clutched in his hand. Hesitating a moment Elena followed him.

Smiling to himself Rufus reached for the phone on the desk but then paused and appeared to think better of it. Turning to Elena he pushed the phone towards her along with the crumpled invitation.

"Call this number" he prompted, pointing at the invitation.

"What? And say what sir?" Elena asked, taken aback.

"Just say you have the President on the line and that you would like to talk to a Mr. Forbes."

Elena flinched away from the phone. "You want me to be your _secretary?"_ She asked incredulously.

"Exactly. Now, when you call-"

"Why?!" Elena interrupted, still trying to take in both the unusualness of the request and the bizarreness of the situation in general.

"Etiquette." Rufus answered simply as if the whole scenario were the most natural in the world. "There are certain guidelines when it comes to these things. As President I cannot be seen to be making my own phone calls. Why, the whole idea would be risible!"

Elena wasn't entirely sure what the President meant by 'risible', but she knew she was more than a little offended by his presumptuousness.

"Can't you get someone else to do it?" she protested, trying to keep her voice steady.

"What?" Rufus cocked his head at her, looking momentarily confused before brushing off her request, "no, no you'll do fine. You have a pleasant enough voice, a little high-pitched sometimes but it'll do for our current purpose."

Seeing red Elena opened her mouth to speak only to find her vocal chords had constricted so, to her mortification, all that came out was an unintelligible squeak.

"Yes, exactly." Rufus said as he looked down at the invitation, punching the number into the phone, "Just keep below that octave and you'll be fine."

Elena wasn't sure if her face was redder from anger or embarrassment. All evidence of the depressed state she had been in only minutes ago vanished as her lips tightened into two thin lines, her nostrils flaring angrily. This really was beyond the pail! Just because she was a woman didn't mean she could be expected to play at secretary upon the President's command. What next, would she have to start bringing him coffee during his meetings? Even Reno in a particularly conniving mood would have trouble whipping Elena up into the furore she was currently experiencing. Rufus appeared to be managing the task simply by being himself.

She gawped at the phone as Rufus held it out to her expectantly, the ring tone already sounding. He looked at her with steady eyes, his whole manner indicative of a person who was used to getting their own way.

Groaning inwardly Elena snatched the phone out of his hand, her mouth turned-down into a grimace to express her displeasure with the situation. Rufus just smiled condescendingly like one would to a small child.

Holding the handset up to her ear she listened as the other end picked up.

"Forbes residence" a prim, tinny female voice spoke.

"Oh hello, yes" Elena piped up in what she hoped was a professional tone, tugging nervously on a lock of hair as she tried to ignore Rufus' unblinking gaze from across the table, "I'm calling on behalf of the president of the Shin-Ra Corporation. Is Mr. Forbes there?"

"Oh yes, yes of course" replied the woman on the other end, suddenly sounding quite flustered, "I'll just fetch him for you. Please hold on."

Sighing with relief at the end of her ordeal Elena dropped the phone away from her face and attempted to pass it to Rufus. He however just waved her back, _"No" _he hissed, _"wait 'til he answers."_

Elena looked back at him desperately. This was a nightmare, she felt like she was suffering from stage-fright or something. Cringing she held onto the phone until a loud, genteel voice spoke up on the other end, "Forbes here."

"Please hold for the President." Elena said between gritted teeth, wincing at herself before thrusting the phone once again in Rufus' direction.

Rufus took the phone with a *well done* nod of the head. Rather than speak immediately he held the phone at arm's length for a few seconds, closing his eyes as if to ready himself. Then, blinking quickly, he moved the handset quickly to his face, a false leer plastering his features.

"Forbes, Rufus here. How are you?" His voice practically boomed with false bravado and warmth, making Elena blink in surprise. Still, Rufus did not motion for her to leave this time, instead he appeared content to let her watch the performance.

"Rufus my good man!" came the equally bold puffed-up voice from the other end of the phone, making its way quite clearly to Elena's ears. "Good to hear you! It's been too long!"

"Yes, yes far too long." Rufus answered blithely, "How is life treating you in Costa del Sol?"

The response this time was a little harder for Elena to discern, the voice shifting to a more haughty, grumbling tone. She made out the words "dashed hot" and "little woman". Rufus simply made conciliatory hums and chuckles in response, his eyes starting to float around the room as his attention clearly started to wonder.

"Still," he said after a few seconds, cutting the man off mid-sentence, "surely it can't be all _that _bad. Why, I hear you're heading the cultural front yourself, still hosting your famous parties."

"Well, you know me my boy," Forbes replied, proud and cheerful, "must keep up appearances! Eh? Ha, ha!"

"Which reminds me," Rufus replied smoothly, "I must thank you for your kind invitation."

Again, Elena couldn't make out the response, the voice having once more shifted to a lower, disappointed note. Rufus' face had set to a deadpan expression by now, though his voice, slightly unnervingly, still maintained a cheerful, upbeat tempo.

"What? What in Gaia gave you that impression?" he suddenly asked, giving a convincing impression of being taken aback, "Why of _course _I will be accepting your invitation. Wouldn't miss it for the world!"

A confused, garbled reply came from the other end. Elena's brow also twitched in surprise. Only a matter of hours ago Rufus had dismissed both the party and its host with a disdainful air. Now Shiva only knew what he was up to.

"No, no- to think!" Rufus huffed, his voice taking on an exasperated edge, "Honestly, you simply can't get the staff these days, can't even deliver a simple RSVP correctly. Still, you get what you pay for I suppose."

The response at the other end was an exuberant cry, the words "honoured" and "delighted" floating across the room.

"No, no the pleasure is all mine. I'm only too pleased to accept the invitation." Rufus answered, his face conveying anything but pleasure. "I must say though," he continued, not missing a beat, "you must have good contacts to know I was around these parts. Why, even the commander of WRO wasn't aware of my whereabouts."

"Well, you know me my boy," the arrogance in the voice making it easier to discern, "I'd be nothing without my contacts! Ha, ha!"

"Indeed." Only Elena detected the slight tinge of sarcasm in Rufus' response. "Actually, now you mention it...." Rufus took on a whimsical air to his words, as if thinking aloud, "... no, no forget it."

A curious sound came from the telephone.

"No, no,.... I wouldn't want to appear presumptuous."

The same curious, beseeching noise came again.

"Well..." Rufus answered in a reluctant tone, "I was just wondering. There's a person I'd very much like to get in touch with over on your side of the ocean. I thought maybe, what with your contacts and all you might have..."

He paused and listened for a moment, allowing a slight smile to pull at the corners of his mouth.

"Thank you, you really are too kind. Name of Ingham, land owner somewhere in the North West, close to Rocket Town I believe. Do you know the name?"

Elena did, she recognised the name from her report- the former materia trader who possessed land close to the recent oil discoveries. Comprehension started to dawn on Elena's face as she continued to watch Rufus, the sly smile on his face growing by the second.

"Oh you do? Well of course you would, naturally. Like I said I would be keen to meet with him at some point, do you think he would be predisposed to..."

He trailed off, listening intently.

"What? Oh no, I couldn't possibly ask you to..."

"No, no" came the voice, "happy to! What's a couple more names on the guest list for the President of the Shin-Ra Corporation?!"

"Well," Rufus answered, sounding uncharacteristically put out, "if you insist. That would be most gracious of you, I would be very grateful."

"Don't mention it" Forbes crowed, "I'll make the phonecall straight away, make sure I don't get 'no' for an answer! Ha, ha!"

"My thanks again, you are too kind."

"Not at all! I'll let you know his reply."

"Thank you, please do."

Ending the conversation with the usual pleasantries Rufus finally hung up the phone. Raising a hand to his face he swept back blonde locks from his eyes. Elena watched deadpan from across the otherside of the desk. During the short time she had spent as bodyguard she had already started to pick up on certain quirks and habits of the President; this tendency to preen when pleased with himself was one of his more irksome traits. Even as the same sucking emptiness started to blur her consciousness again now that the momentary distraction had ceased, still a small flame of irritation flickered behind her eyes.

A proud man cannot keep quiet for long however; after the most fleeting of silences Rufus; eyes swivelled round towards Elena, the smirk on his face appearing to have taken up permanent residence.

"It seems we will be heading for the other continent earlier than anticipated."

"Yes sir, so I heard." She answered in as dull a voice as she could manage. Ignoring her tone, Rufus continued blithely on.

"We should start making preparations to leave first thing tomorrow."

"Very good sir. Should I go and inform Gibbs, ask him to make the necessary arrangements?"

"What?" he stopped and seemed to consider the suggestion, "no, stay awhile. You may still be needed. Besides," he said, scanning across the littered desk and coffee table, "this room could do with a bit of reorganising."

Frustration mounting once again, Elena sighed heavily, her whole body sagging dejectedly. All she wanted to do was escape this room just long enough to placate her anger at being exploited so humiliatingly, walk it out along the cold marble corridors of the building. Rufus was having none of it though.

Watching her from the corner of his eye the President felt another light thrill of triumph, be it an unintentional one this time. True there had been occasional cracks in the mask before; a hidden smile, a moment of absent mindedness, even a hint of sarcasm in her voice which she thought he wouldn't pick up on. This however was the most _public _display of emotion Elena had shown in quite some time- a pity it had to be in the form of a sulk.

Still, she actually looked quite pretty with her bottom lip jutting out and her eyes lidded with vexation. Yes, a definite improvement from the hollow-eyed mask she had taken to wearing ever since returning from the Northern Crater. A face like Elena's should always be filled with emotion, be it happiness, anguish, embarrassment, anything other than that lost, broken appearance.

It was during these contemplations that Elena suddenly looked up from the papers gathered in her hands, catching the President watching her from across the table. Rufus felt a jolt, surprised to be the one caught off guard for once. Keeping his composure however, Rufus merely smiled sardonically back at the wide surprised eyes of the Turk.

"Don't pout Elena, it's unprofessional." He said, leaning forward to start gathering up the scattered documents between them. Biting her tongue, Elena recomposed her face as she too continued collecting papers. '_At least he's helping clear up the mess' _she thought, another sigh escaping her lips.

"And try not to sigh so much either."


	9. Chapter 9

_AU note: Yipes, gotta be quick- It's Burns Night and I've got a ceilidh to get to!_

_Hooray, that last chapter got me four new story alert subscribers- hi guys, welcome aboard!_

_Once again thanks for all the great reviews folks. Koalababay you're always there with a kind or helpful review, you're a star! Kinokokichigai- I'm glad my attempt at humour worked for you! Sorry this update took so long, the first draft was a big pile of pants and had to be rewritten!_

_There seems to be a consensus in the fan fiction community that Elena's sister is named 'Rosalind'. For a while this confused the hell out of me as it wasn't from any of the official sources as far as I could tell. Instead it appeared to be a sort of FF7 meme that had just caught on. Recently however I found the *apparent* origin from the only English translation website of the 'Before Crisis' games_, _Gunshot Romance. The site has also provided me with an invaluable source of background material for both Rufus and Elena. By using them I am technically including SPOILERS for 'Before Crisis' though so fair warning to anyone who's planning on playing the game._

"Well it's just preposterous! This kind of thing would never have happened when WE ran the boats!" Rufus Shinra stood cross armed at the front of Junon harbour, encircled by his bodyguard and the luggage, an incensed expression darkening his features.

"It's only a couple of hour's delay sir." Elena attempted, trying to placate the President. Raising a hand she tried to brush away the strands of hair being whipped into her eyes by the unruly sea wind. The clouds had finally broken on the day they were due to leave the harbour city, _'Typical' _Elena had thought to herself as she packed her modest travelling case. Bright, harsh sunlight now flooded the docks where the _'Flower of Junon'_ was currently anchored- a huge, hulking monstrosity of a passenger ship, nothing like the delicate image its name implied. It was similar in size and appearance to the company ship Rufus had famously used to cross continents on at the start of his inauguration as President, an event that felt like a lifetime ago. However, instead of being filled with Shin-Ra guards, pleasure-seekers and socialites waited patiently to board.

"Could have just taken one of the company's air fleet." Rufus continued to rant, "This is what happens when you try to be generous and support commercial enterprises! One thing you have to concede about the old days, Shin-Ra kept the transport running on time!"

Elena bit her lip, deciding against mentioning all the times she could recall being stuck on a freezing platform waiting for a train in Midgar.

"Maybe we could head back to the head quarters sir. Ask them to send word when the ship's ready." A pang of guilt filled her head even as Elena voiced these words. Poor Gibbs had looked so relieved to finally bid farewell to his boss a short time ago. To have an infuriated Rufus come hurtling back through the doors after only an hour or so's peace would surely tip the man over the edge.

"I've just come from the head quarters Elena, why on earth would I want to go back there?" Rufus snapped peevishly, his eyes casting around for someone with more authority than the baby-faced crew who were currently scampering around the dock like headless chocobos.

"One of the nearby restaurants then, or a bar." _'Please anywhere but here!'_, although the sun was now condescending to shine the wind whipping in from the sea was still bone-chillingly cold.

Rufus turned to look at Elena side-on. "Are you mad?!" he asked her, his voice raising with disbelief, "you expect me to go and partake of one of those harbourside establishments?!"

"Why not sir?" Elena asked dispiritedly, her heart sinking as she spoke.

"Elena, I did not spend three years as Vice President in this floating scrapyard of a city without knowing what goes on in those rat cellars. Gambling dens and whore houses the lot of them! I never once stepped foot in any of them and I do not intend to break the habit now!"

"No sir, of course not." She answered defeatedly, casting her eyes to the ground. Rufus clicked his tongue and turned his face back to the boat and the relentless sea wind.

"Really, is there _anyone _with an ounce of authority about?" he asked aloud, his words snatched away by the breeze as soon as they were spoken.

***

It was nearly dark by the time the ship finally left Junon, beginning its journey to the Western continent. Upon overseeing the loading of the bags into the cabin Rufus had immediately set off in search of the first class bar, Elena trotting along at his heels.

The bar was low-lit and relatively quiet, only a handful of passengers occupying the tables or propped up against the sleek mahogany bar. Elena made a futile attempt to go in ahead of the President to scope the place; Rufus however ignored her and simply barged straight into the room. Cold eyes flashing quickly over the scene he moved to the table set furthest aside from the others in a dark corner of the bar. Elena followed suit trying to avoid the curious glances and whispers of the other passengers, if they recognised the bad tempered young president who had just entered their midst they chose not to show it.

A slightly panicked looking waiter scuttled over to take their order. Rufus ordered quickly before sliding his eyes over to his companion. "What will you have Elena?"

"Oh, nothing for me thank you sir. Not while I'm on duty." Elena replied sheepishly, throwing an apologetic look at the waiter.

"Well consider yourself off duty, what will you have?" Rufus clipped back in response, rubbing his temples with his fingers as if fighting against a headache.

Elena fidgeted uncomfortably, trying to avoid looking anywhere in particular. Rufus sighed loudly, throwing his head back against the leather padding of his chair. "Really Elena, you really are being most tiresome. I'm not in the mood to drink alone, now would you kindly do me the honour of joining me?"

Elena flinched, unsure as to whether this should be taken as a request or an order. Relenting she ordered a small drink off the waiter. The orders arrived with prompt ceremony, the waiter setting them down along with coasters and napkins. Elena stared at hers still inwardly debating. Taking the smallest of sips she quickly sat the glass down again, dropping her hands to her lap, maybe if she just left it sitting there in front of her that would be enough to satisfy Rufus.

A minute's awkward silence passed between the pair, broken only by the rhythmic drumming of Rufus' fingers against the polished wood of the table.

"Go on then talk!" his voice came out of nowhere, making Elena look up in surprise and confusion.

"Talk sir?"

"Yes talk, we're barely an hour into this cursed boat ride and I'm already bored senseless. Let's see how much time some conversation can kill."

Though on her guard Rufus' demand did not instil the sense of panic Elena might once have felt, instead she merely watched him steadily. _Is this the height of his social skills? _She wondered inwardly before answering in a calm dignified voice, "What do you want me to talk about sir?"

"I don't know," Rufus answered, his voice tinged with a slight note of exasperation, "what do you normally talk about with the rest of them?"

By 'rest of them' Elena presumed the President was referring to the other Turks. Pausing she let her eyes drop down to the drink in front of her. Truth be told it had been a while since she had spent much time socialising with Reno and Rude. Whenever they were heading down the bar she'd started making lame excuses or slipping out of the office unnoticed before the invitation could be extended to her, after a while even Reno had stopped asking. Now, sitting there she tried to recall the conversations they used to have, it felt like a lifetime ago. Frowning Elena tried to think a little harder, all those two had ever seemed to talk about was who they did or didn't like, _'stupid'_ Elena thought to herself.

"I... can't think offhand sir." She answered eventually, "Maybe if you asked me questions" she suggested weakly.

Rufus arched an inquisitive eyebrow at the suggestion causing Elena to instantly regret making it. The dark cloud gravitating above the President did appear to lift slightly as he considered the offer.

"Alright," he answered leaning further back in his chair, eyes rising to the heavens as he stopped to consider what question to ask. "Where did you grow up?" he volunteered half-heartedly.

"Midgar sir."

"Above or below the plate?"

"Below, sector 5, just off the old Wall Market."

He nodded with only partial interest, "Ah, a childhood in the slums then." He paused, frowning slightly, "That was what you called it right? 'The slums', or was that just an upper plate terminology?"

Elena shrugged, "Nope, that's what we called it. Slummy by name slummy by nature."

"Was it a tough environment to grow up in?" He asked in the same nonchalant tone.

"You learnt to survive pretty quickly," Elena answered, a touch of pride in her voice, "street savvy y'know."

Rufus smiled at this comment, "Were you street savvy Elena?" he asked, inclining his head in a conspiratorial gesture.

Elena paused, sensing that the President was teasing her."Well yeah...." she began hesitantly, eyes narrowing at Rufus' growing smirk, she sat up straight, rolling her shoulders defiantly. "Had to, especially in my job."

"Oh? You mean being a Turk?" he asked lightly.

"No sir, before that."

Rufus tilted his head questioningly, "What then?"

Elena paused, "I worked in a bar."

Rufus blinked with genuine surprise, "A bar?"

Elena nodded straight-faced. Rufus stared at her for a few seconds before his look of disbelief slowly morphed into one of amusement, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards.

"Real-ly?" he purred, "how interesting.... What kind of a bar?"

Elena bristled with indignation, the cloud of distemper rolling from Rufus onto her. "Oh I don't know," she heard herself say almost unwittingly, "just your usual gambling den or whorehouse y'know. Pretty standard for the slums."

Rufus paused, processing the familiarity of those words before setting his drink down and scowling. "Hmphh," he muttered, "well now you're just exaggerating."

"And how would you know sir?" Elena asked, lifting her chin up proudly, "I bet you never even set foot below the plate."

Rufus crossed his arms almost sulkily, hunching down further into his seat. "Of course I have." He muttered in a low voice, avoiding Elena's direct gaze.

"_Really? _When?" part of Elena was aware she was pushing her luck, but it was not often that Rufus was the one out of the two of them to be on the defensive, the temptation was just too much to ignore.

"Well.... Let me see.... Must have been..." Rufus worked his jaw from side to side in vexation, "Look, that's not the point!" he snapped suddenly, faced with Elena's triumphant expression, "Besides, I was stuck in Junon for most of the time, barely had a chance to go to Midgar at all!"

"And you never went to any of the bars there either, you admitted that much already!"

"Yes, because like I said they weren't the kind of places to be seen in!"

"Hmmm," Elena hummed, turning away, her lips still twitching with amusement, "....I am so much more street savvy than the President." She sighed lazily to herself. Rufus merely grumbled under his breath, the words "upstart little..." just discernable before the remainder of the sentence was muffled by the drink placed to his lips.

Elena watched him out of the corner of her eye, still revelling in her victory. A minute of silence passed between them before she turned around to face him. There was a question that had been nagging her for sometime, now seemed as good a time as any to address it.

"Sir," she began hesitantly, "may I ask you a question?"

"Oh, we're back to 'sir' now are we?" Rufus muttered sulkily, failing to lift his chin up from his chest, "Go on then what is it?"

Elena paused, taking a short breath, "Why _did _you spend so much time in Junon sir?" she frowned, trying to discern the reaction in his features, "I mean, it doesn't sound like you, er, liked the place."

"Hmphh" Rufus growled by way of confirmation.

"And, surely your time would have been better spent in Midgar..." Elena pressed on, a slight flutter in her voice.

"Very true. Junon was never a personal choice."

"Sir?"

Rufus paused, sliding his eyes to consider Elena side on. Well, she had given up some of her history to him, he supposed it was only fair to return the favour.

"The old man sent me out here for the last few years of his reign. Call it a punishment of sorts." He answered, trying to appear off-hand.

"Punishment? What for sir?"

Rufus sniffed, shifting his weight from one side to the other. He looked almost uncomfortable. "I may have attempted... that is dabbled in.. some... light treason."

Elena blinked, her jaw dropping open in surprise, "Treason sir?"she parroted in confusion.

Rufus grimaced and shrugged before taking a long sip from his drink.

"But why sir?" Elena asked, still trying to digest this new shocking piece of information.

Rufus shrugged again, "Call it a folly of youth."

"Why, how old were you at the time?"

"Oh I don't know... eighteen."

"You tried to overthrow your father when you were still a teenager?!"

"Oh don't get all high and mighty on me Elena! By Gaia you sound just like Tseng did."

"Tseng knew?!"

"Of course, _everyone _knew. Really it's all old news, I don't know why you're making such a fuss about it."

Elena shook her head in disbelief before turning back to her own drink. A hundred follow-up questions swirled round her head but it was obvious Rufus didn't want to go into it in any further detail.

"Well, you were ambitious to say the least." She eventually muttered.

Rufus smiled, almost proudly, before raising his glass and finishing his drink.

"So what about you Elena? What were your ambitions of youth?" He asked, dropping the empty glass back on the table with a clunk. "Or were you happy with your simple life serving beers?"

Elena stopped to consider the question, ignoring the jibe tacked on at the end. "Well,... nothing nearly as grand as that. I don't know really... I knew what I _didn't _want to do."

"Oh, what was that?"

"Be a Turk."

"Well, now you're not making any sense." Rufus answered calmly without any hint of the surprise Elena was hoping for. Instead he just gestured to the barman for another drink.

"I hated the Turks," Elena explained, "my sister was one of them."

"Yes, I remember you saying."

"Always so uppity and serious, she kinda looked down on me, thought I was a klutz."

"Well that's just not nice is it?" Elena glanced up, suspicious of a slightly sarcastic edge to Rufus' voice.

"Rosalind came top of her class in practically everything," she continued hesitantly, "got snapped up by the Turks the moment she graduated." Despite herself Elena sighed, dropping her chin down heavily on her hand, "I'd been living under her shadow all my life, there was no way I was gonna follow her into the Turks too."

"Still, you're not explaining how this gels with your current situation."

Elena struggled to follow her own reasoning. "I don't know sir.... I guess what I said before still holds true. I wanted to prove myself, to my sister, my father, everyone. I worked hard in the Training Academy, did well, did better than anyone expected me to. I don't think Rosalind or anyone else thought I had what it took to be a Turk, so when Tseng came and offered me the position... I took it."

Rufus turned and studied her quizzically, tilting his head so that his damaged eye could scrutinise her, "Just like that? From school girl to Turk? No regrets?"

Elena inhaled slowly, she'd asked herself the same question many a time during her short career as a Turk, more so during particularly embarrassing or painful episodes. She already knew the answer though-

"No sir. So long as I'm capable, I'm proud to be a Turk."

Rufus smiled at this, "Well in that case, I propose a toast." He lifted his glass and inclined his head towards Elena, catching her gaze with his own, "To family, for making us what we are today!"

Elena couldn't help but smile at this. Taking up her own untouched drink she returned Rufus' warm look. "To family" she repeated, touching glasses with him, the light clink reverberating across the bar.

***

"And then of course the pile of junk only got about fifty foot in the air before the engines cut out and it all came crashing down again! Lord, you should have seen the old man's face- ha, ha, ha! Space exploration, the great new enterprise of the Shin-Ra Corporation, billions of gil invested, launch ceremony attended by thousands, and the whole thing fell flat on its ass- literally! Ha! I told him the whole enterprise was an atrocious waste of money but he wouldn't listen." Rufus paused to take a breath and consider, "Of course we did try using the rocket later on to intercept Meteor. Fat lot of good that did!"

"Hmm-mmm" Elena mumbled, head lolling to the side out of sheer despair. She'd long given up feigning interest, the occasional appreciative noise appeared to work just as well. Ridiculing his father's old regime seemed to be a favourite topic of Rufus'. Tongue loosened by a couple of glasses of liquor he now appeared to need little encouragement to give vent to a long history of discontents.

The two of them were now ensconced in Rufus' first class cabin. The President had declared himself bored of the ship's bar at around the same time that it had started filling up with fellow passengers and had insisted they retire to somewhere less noisy. "Besides," Rufus had stated blithely, "What need I of a public house when I have a minibar and my own personal barmaid at my disposal?"

Elena squirmed uncomfortably in her chair, aware of the growing numbness in her backside. Rufus was lounging in another chair across from her, though he took occasional sips from the glass cradled in his hand Elena couldn't see the level of the drink dropping at all. Surely he would get tired of this one sided conversation sometime soon? What time was it anyway? Must be close to midnight she calculated, wondering if she could manage a discrete look at her watch without being caught.

Wait, what was he going on about now?

"... I mean, they were in charge of overseeing the construction of what three? No wait-_four _mako reactors outside of Midgar." Rufus extended a hand and started ticking them off against his fingers, "One blew up, another spewed so much mako the surrounding area ended up with a serious monster infestation. Corel- what happened in Corel?... I don't recall the details but it finished with that witch Scarlet laying waste to the neighbouring town. And the underwater reactor at Junon, well let's just say it wasn't wise to eat the fish once they installed that thing!"

"Yuh-huh"

Rufus stopped, propping his head up with his elbow, a glazed look casting over his eyes as the memories swam back and forth across his consciousness. Elena slowly tugged the fabric of her sleeve away from her wrist and cast her eyes downwards, 12.25, damn and she was expected to be alert come the morning?!

"She came on to me once you know." Rufus mused, almost to himself.

Elena's head snapped up, eyes wide with surprise. Now this _was _worth paying attention to! "What? _Who? _ You don't mean-" she asked incredulously.

"Oh yes," Rufus carried on blithely, "you know that laugh of hers was even more grating close up... Plus I don't think she was a natural blonde."

"_When..was..this?!_" Elena managed to gasp in a strangled voice.

"Oh ages ago, some company function back when I'd just been handed the Vice-Presidency.... Came up to me half-kaned, told me she could 'teach' me a few things if I was interested. Ugh!" Rufus shivered visibly at the recollection.

Elena stared at him, her jaw open with disbelief. Shaking her head she managed to raise a hand up to her mouth before dissolving into giggles, her laughter bubbling through the room. Rufus watched her with mild surprise for a moment before breaking into a smile himself and starting to chuckle gently, his own laughter a deeper timbre against her own.

"So... what did you do?" Elena eventually managed to gasp, fanning her face with her hand.

"What d'you think? I ran! Good gods that woman scared me witless."

"Scared?" Elena asked incredulously.

"Scared, disgusted, whatever" Rufus answered quickly, realising his slip, "Besides, I was barely sixteen at the time, practically jail bait."

Elena smiled, wiping a tear away from her eye, "From jail bait to throne usurper in two short years, oh dear what went wrong?" She mused out loud, her inhibitions weakened by her laughter.

Rufus stopped short at this comment, eyes narrowing down upon her. Elena blinked, momentarily shocked by her own audacity. The look on the President's face however was one of admiration rather than anger. Had Elena just scored a point off him?

"So," he began slowly after a pause, suddenly determined to exact revenge on the young Turk, "I've shared mine, now it's your turn Elena. What interdepartmental love interests have you been partisan to?"

Elena gulped, where had _that _come from? "None sir" she answered, trying not to blush.

"Now I find that very hard to believe. What none at all?" Rufus' voice rose in mock disbelief.

"No sir." Despite her best efforts Elena started to feel the heat creep up her neck. The conversation _did _seem to be turning into a Reno-Rude banter after all.

"No one you like, not even a corporate crush?"

Elena hesitated, feeling that if she chose to continue lying Rufus would simply see through it.

"There was someone once but he wasn't really interested." She admitted quietly, looking down again at her lap as she spoke.

"Really? Who? You can tell me you know, I am the height of discretion."

Elena tried hard to fight the urge to bite her lip, "I'd rather not say sir."

"Ah," Rufus construed, "someone I know then?"

Elena felt her blush double in intensity. "No sir, not necessarily" she answered, the quaver in her voice betraying her.

Rufus simply flashed her a disconcerting smile making Elena's insides squirm all the more- did he know? Oh Gaia he knew! He must do, if Reno and Rude could spot her rookie crush on her boss then surely Rufus would have too.... Then again, they were co-workers while he was the President, kept separate from the humdrum of his employees' personal lives by a chain of command and several floors of the HQ building. No, he couldn't know! .... But that look suggested he did... Or maybe it was just a bluff...How had they gotten into this conversation anyway?!

Elena suddenly felt oppressively, chokingly hot. Her cheeks were already aflame and if she didn't do something, get out of this stuffy cabin room for just a minute or so, she'd sweat or faint or do something equally embarrassing. Standing up abruptly she tried to avoid the surprised eyes of her employer. Tugging off her jacket, the wool blend material feeling unbearably itchy against her neck and arms, she dropped the offending item of clothing on the table in front of her.

"Excuse me a minute sir." She said as calmly as she could muster. Although there was an en-suite attached to the room she preferred to find a bathroom further down the corridor in which to splash water on her face and mentally beat herself up. She waited a moment for acknowledgement from the President, Rufus however seemed distracted again, his head having dropped down towards the table between them. Taking this as a blessing Elena turned quickly and exited the room.

Rufus barely registered the exit of his bodyguard, his face and eyes still turned towards the table where Elena had thrown her jacket a second before. A soft clattering noise had caught his attention at that moment, pulling another, more recent memory sharply to the front of his recollection.

Hesitating Rufus debated between investigating further or ignoring the memory. It clamoured around his head however, forcing him to react almost without meaning to. Slowly he leant forward from his chair, extended an arm towards the small piece of plastic that had fallen from the jacket pocket. The skin along the back of his hand seemed to prickle and burn as if recalling the stigma along with the host of other memories and emotions conjured up from the past.

Taking the item into his grasp Rufus brought it forward towards his eyes. Elena's profile looked back at him from the small laminated ID card. Her expression below the company logo was serious, no doubt reflecting the grandeur and responsibility she felt in her new position at the time the photo had been taken. Next to her picture was her name, the word 'Elena' printed alone, no title, no surname to speak of. When one entered the Turks there was no longer any need for a family name, the company became all the family one knew, along with all the demands of unquestioning loyalty that came with it. Some Turks had even been known to adopt entirely new names, discarding their old identities and lives altogether.

Rufus continued to study the card. The last time he had seen it it had been smeared in her blood, thrown callously at his feet with the same soft clattering noise as a means of taunting him.

His concentration had been in overdrive at the time, intent on keeping one step ahead of the impetuous, power-crazed adolescent before him. Kadaj had seen it all as a game, one big fanciful game in which he was already assured of victory. In a distorted way Rufus had also enjoyed it, taking pleasure from the battle of wits, the espionage that went into it, reducing any real anxiety he felt to just a small twitch of a finger.

Still that moment when the cards dropped to the ground. He'd looked at them, taking in their full significance. That was when some of the trust cost, the true weight of the 'game' finally hit home and he found himself asking why, _'Why did you do this?'_ in a voice thick with genuine emotion.

At that moment it stopped being a game.

***

Elena re-entered the room to be confronted with a decided shift in mood. The happy, relaxed countenance of the President had apparently evaporated in her absence, replaced with something much quieter and oppressive in its stillness.

Elena silently reclaimed her seat, looking towards Rufus with concerned filled eyes, his expression unreadable. Glancing down at his hand she spotted her identity card clasped gently in his fingers. She swallowed but decided to say nothing.

The silence hung ominously for another second or so before finally being broken by Rufus' soft low voice.

"What happened in there?" He asked quietly.

Elena breathed in sharply through her nostrils and closed her eyes. She didn't need to ask where 'there' was in reference to, nowadays it seemed like the slightest trigger was enough to bring a mass of unwanted memories flooding, swarming back into her head. Suddenly she was no longer warm, she was unbearably cold, shivering even. Her mouth and nose filled with rust, the skin along her back and arms searing with pain. If she opened her eyes again she would see green glowing eyes staring back, slitted like a cat, filled with mako and madness.

She shook her head to try and shake off these sickening but all too familiar images. "Do you really want to know sir?" she eventually asked, her voice little more than a whisper.

Rufus didn't reply, just looked back at her solemnly.

"It doesn't matter, I survived, we survived." Elena continued after a moment, "Though if Tseng hadn't been with me I don't think..." she trailed off, not wishing to complete her sentence. She took a short shaky breath. "...I think I'll be happy never having to hear the word 'mother' again." This she attempted with a small feigned attempt at a smile. Rufus however, didn't return it, just continued observing her, his expression blank and unreadable.

"I didn't say anything." Elena said suddenly, looking up to stare at him with stone resolute eyes, "I just wanted you to know that sir. I never said anything to them." _Not that you knew anything worth telling, _she thought privately to herself.

Rufus met her eyes, his own expression distant, almost sad. "I know." He answered simply. They held each other's gaze for a few seconds, employer and employee studying each other from across the small cabin room. Surprisingly Rufus was the first one to look away, casting his eyes down and to the side almost in a gesture of contrition.

"Elena..." he began hoarsely before hesitating, "we would have... I would have..." he closed his eyes, exhaling slowly through the nose, "... if our resources had been stronger. If I hadn't had to rush to conceal the Jenova remains..."

Comprehension dawned on Elena. She dropped her head, looking quickly back down into her lap, for some reason the sight of Rufus Shinra apologising made her even more uncomfortable than she had been a minute ago. The President never showed weakness, never bled nor cried. It felt as if what she was witnessing was going against the entire flow of the lifestream.

She shook her head to stop him, "You had to do what was best for the company sir." She looked up again with what she hoped was a brave countenance in her eyes. "Like I said, we got out.... It doesn't matter anymore."

Rufus looked back at her, her words of reassurance appearing to have little impact on him. Guilt still hovered behind his sullen expression. Silent once again.

Elena turned her face away again, wringing her hands with unease. "Thank you," she whispered, realising how hollow her words sounded even as they passed her lips, "thank you for taking me back."

Rufus' discomfort seemed to intensify at this. He squeezed his eyes shut, bringing a hand to his face to cover his mouth. He stayed frozen like that for a second before slowly dropping the hand away and raising his eyelids a fraction.

"No need to thank me." He muttered in a barely audible whisper, "You never left." He looked up to meet her gaze, "Once a Turk always a Turk."

_AU note: Wow, long chapter, lots of talking! So I made up the bit about Scarlet hitting on Rufus but the rest of the details are accurate as far as I know. Sorry if it bored some of you but this chapter was necessary for a couple of reasons. Firstly there were things mentioned in it that will be returned to in later chapters (that's right, I actually have a plot for this story!), secondly I felt Rufus and Elena needed some more bonding time before I throw the proverbial spanner in the works! (Heh, heh *plots evilly*)._

_Once again please let me know your thoughts. What was good? What was bad? What would you like to see more/less of? _


	10. Chapter 10

_Wow, thanks for all the really positive reviews guys. For some reason I was unaccountably nervous about submitting that last chapter and took a couple of days before working up the courage to read the comments. _

_So, it turns out that this next chapter is a little longer than I anticipated. Though it grieves me I had to split it into two parts. Ah well, it was either that or edit stuff out/deprive you guys of an update for ages while writing one humongous chapter. _

_Oh, and before I sign off- a special thanks goes out to Zizzi Hungarian for what is probably the best compliment I've had so far- "with your style nothing seems to be entertaining"- love it, thank you sooo much! _:D

Elena closed her eyes and tilted her face up towards the sun. Jacket stripped off she had rolled her sleeves back to allow her forearms exposure to the warm rays, about as much in the way of sunbathing as her uniform would accommodate.

It had been with some envy that Elena had watched other locals and holidaymakers stroll across the small harbour of Costa del Sol, their tanned limbs bedecked in light, colourful clothing, no belts or collars to stifle them in the near tropical heat, no gun holster digging uncomfortably into their hips.

Compared to the last few weeks she had spent in Junon Costa del Sol was like a dream, with its constant, streaming sunshine and endless golden beaches. The same sea which had appeared grey and hostile in Junon was now a deep, inviting shade of azure. Elena had never truly spent much time in this small resort town before, just the occasional pass through visit en-route to some other destination further inland. She dimly recalled conversations Rude and Reno had had about vacationing here once, a slightly surreal episode where both members of the Turks and SOLDIER had taken a holiday together. But those had been halcyon days, long before the inter-departmental rivalries and scheming within the company had reached their peak, before ranks were closed and Turks were sent out to hunt SOLDIER members rather than socialise with them. Basically long before Elena had ever entered the frame.

But still she was here now, and even if it was on business rather than pleasure she was going to try her best to take some enjoyment out of it. No meetings to sit in on, no grovelling Shin-Ra managers to put up with, even Rufus' icy demeanour appeared to have thawed a little in the current climate. They had only been in Costa del Sol for the space of a few short hours but to Elena's eyes he already appeared calmer, more at ease with the world. No longer faced with the direct reminders of a weakened company or an ailing planet, she hoped for his sake he would use this time to relax, to let go of the business reins if only for a day or so. She wondered when the last time the President had taken a holiday was.

Come to think of it, where was her charge? Standing up Elena turned and padded slowly into the villa. Not surprisingly Rufus had opted to spurn the populous, flamboyant hotels lined up along the beachfront for something quieter and more reclusive. The villa was a vestige of the old Shin-Ra Corporation, a large impressive house situated a little ways off from the main hub of the town. It appeared to have been designed for large parties of people, hosting corporate entertainments and such like. Consequently it felt far too big to accommodate just the two of them. Elena disliked the prospect of having to ensure the security of such a building single-handedly.

Stepping through the expanse of shady, terracotta tiled rooms Elena could make out the sound of Rufus' voice floating across the still air. With a stab of disappointment she recognised the cool, business like clip to his voice long before she was close enough to discern the words. Turning a corner she found him reclining in a shady corner of a large, lounge-like area, cell phone pressed against his ear. Realising she was intruding on a business conversation Elena made to leave, Rufus however, looking up at the sound of her arrival, smiled and gestured to her to stay. Hesitating Elena took a few more steps into the room, careful to maintain a physical as well as a professional distance from the President's business dealings.

Listening to the speaker on the other end of the phone Rufus' smile seemed to weaken. With the same hand he had used to stop Elena's exit he pressed fingertips lightly against his temples in a tired gesture.

"...How many files?" he asked resignedly into the phone. Upon hearing the reply he sighed heavily, "Damn Heidegger, nerve of the man to keep this from me." He paused to listen again, "What?... 'Tsviets'? No, never heard of it, should the name mean something to me?" More replies from the speaker on the other end. Rufus frowned, a slight note of frustration entering his voice, "And you're telling me in all your years as a Turk you never caught even the slightest whiff of this?" Elena looked up, was it Tseng he was talking to?

Rufus' free hand moved down from his forehead to pinch the bridge of his nose, "No, no..." his voice returned to its original tired tone, ".. so what now? Is there any indication as to what happened to the project post-meteor?" Tseng's response was short and negative.

"Very well,.." Rufus murmured. He listened again, "Reeve?" he stopped to consider "... No, keep these files strictly to yourself. I don't want Tuesti or anyone else getting wind of them until we have a better understanding of what exactly went on in this 'Deepground' project."

Elena burnt with curiosity as Rufus finished his conversation with Tseng. What was 'Deepground'? What were the 'Tsviets'? Why would Reeve, the head of the World Regenesis Organisation be interested in them? She longed to direct her questions at Rufus but knew it wouldn't be appropriate. She certainly didn't want to do anything that might jeopardise this apparent new found privilege Rufus had granted her, allowing her to listen in to his conversations with the head of her department.

Rufus hung up. Pressing his forehead against the fist still clutching the phone he sighed heavily, his short-lived relaxation vanishing in the wake of yet more company burdens. Watching him Elena suddenly felt the urge to snatch the cell phone out of his hand and smash it on the floor; _that _however, would certainly fall into the class of 'inappropriate.' Instead she stood in silence, unsure of how to broach a conversation.

"Bad news, sir?" she asked eventually, wincing internally at the banality of the comment.

"Just more mess that needs cleaning up." Rufus answered in a low, bitter tone.

Elena paused, unsure of whether to stay or go, "Did you want anything sir?"

"Hmmm?" Rufus raised his eyes wearily, his mind still half on the recent telephone conversation. Stopping, he paused at the sight of the Turk. Elena stood before him jacket-less, tie loosened at her neck, sleeves rolled up to reveal bare slender forearms. The skin of her elfin-like face had a gentle glean to it from time spent out in the sun. Taking all this in Rufus felt a slight lurch in his gut, blinking he tried to shake off this odd sensation, quickly regaining his composure, _'the heat must be getting to you'_ he thought.

From her position Elena clocked Rufus' hesitation as he surveyed her appearance. His falter could surely only be due to disapproval; mentally Elena berated herself for not thinking to correct her uniform before going to address him. _'What a klutz!'_

Rufus struggled to recollect the question, "Actually yes..." he began slowly, "there is something." Straightening his back he began to regain momentum in his role as President addressing the staff member. "As you know Forbes' party thing is tomorrow night."

Elena nodded, her face expressionless. Truth be told she was not looking forward to the prospect of spending an evening surrounded by a load of ostentatious snobs and their wives. Her only consolation was that she, in her role as a Turk, would not be expected to join in with the idle chit-chat and socialising. Instead she would be there in an observatory role only, watching the course of events silently from the background. Elena fully intended to take a leaf out of Rude's book for this party.

"I don't suppose you have any formal attire in that little bag you've been living out of?"

Elena blinked, taking a moment to process the question. Lowering her eyes she followed the President's gaze down at her uniform. "Formal attire sir?"

"Yes, formal attire. A dress, heels. Surely you don't spend every hour of the day in that suit?"

"Why sir?" she asked, starting to feel decidedly uneasy.

Rufus tilted his head, addressing Elena's question as if it were the height of naivety - "Well you see Elena, it is customary at such events for people to dress according to a certain code. For members of the fairer sex, such as yourself, this would consist of an evening dress, usually some jewellery-"

"But I'm not-! That is, I- " Elena found herself floundering for words. This whole conversation had the ring of familiarity about it, it was the 'secretary' scenario all over again. Elena could feel the tips of her ears start to tingle with pre-emptive humiliation. "But I'm an employee!" she finally objected.

Rufus smiled privately to himself, the despondency he had been experiencing minutes ago quickly dissipating at the prospect of some sport.

"Exactly!" he answered in an authoritative voice, "It's just because you're an employee that you should be making an effort. I'm not about to have my people wandering around in creased pant-suits for such an event." Elena glanced down at the sleeves of her shirt, _'creased'?_ Despite herself she felt the familiar heat building on her cheeks, she knew she must be blushing.

'_Don't rise to him,_' she told herself, _'that's what he wants. Just, play it cool Elena.'_

Suddenly an idea struck her, straightening her stance and clasping her hands behind her back she spoke out in what she hoped was a clear professional manner- "Such attire would-, would compromise my role, that is, my ability to act as a bodyguard sir!" She lifted her chin at the word 'sir', smiling slightly at the logic of her argument.

To her relief Rufus did appear flummoxed by the objection. Eyebrow hiking he paused to muse her reasoning, but only for a moment-

"Well, in that case... we will just have to revise your role for the evening. You will no longer be a bodyguard, you will be a-" he stopped to consider raising his eyes to the ceiling, "a company ambassador. Yes, I rather like that!" He smiled smugly to himself while the triumph drained from Elena's face.

"But, but-" she cast around frantically for another argument, "but who's going to protect you then?" In her haste she failed to notice that she had once again started to drop the customary 'sir' at the end of each sentence.

Rufus shrugged nonchalantly, "I will just have to take my chances and hope none of the Costa del Sol's socialites are trained assassins."

Elena felt like she was about ready to cry with frustration- "You wouldn't make me do this if I were Reno!"

"Elena, if you were Reno I would make you stay at home. The man's not to be trusted in the presence of polite society. Really this conversation is getting us nowhere."

Elena groaned inwardly, she was out of her depth. How on earth did she ever expect to come out the victor in a battle of wits against the President? She knew it, and she could tell from his slightly gloating demeanour that he knew it too. To think that she had actually felt sorry for him just a few minutes earlier! Part of her just wanted to admit defeat there and then.

Still another part of her, the stubborn part, chose to press on. Elena could be as stubborn as a mule when the fancy took her, her sister had noted it often enough, as had Reno on more than one occasion.

"No sir."

Rufus seemed to pause. He tilted his face, scrutinising her with curious eyes.

"Come again?" he questioned in a low murmur.

Elena's throat suddenly felt extremely dry, fighting desperately not to swallow she continued staring straight ahead, "No sir" she repeated, glad her voice was not coming out in a dry rasp.

Rufus leant back slightly in his chair. This was a new tactic stemming from the young Turk in front of him. Though he could clearly make out the typical Elena-like frustration simmering away beneath the surface she seemed to be making a genuine attempt to hold her ground. His eyes flashed with a Machiavellian delight, this was turning out to be even better entertainment than he'd anticipated. He too decided to shift gear.

"Do you mind me asking why not?" he said in a low whisper.

Elena shifted her weight from one leg to the other, hands still firmly clasped behind her back. "I just don't see the necessity, sir."

"The necessity?"

"Yes, I mean no-... No sir, I don't see the necessity."

Rufus paused, drawing the tips of his fingers together to form a tepee. "Do you always need to know the motivation behind every direct order?"

"Is this really a direct order sir?"

"Damn insolence!" Rufus scoffed with mock-outrage, his hand coming down to smack against the chair arm, "answering a superior's question with another question! This is not at all like you Elena."

"No sir, I suppose it isn't." Elena wanted to laugh out in shock, Rufus was right this was not at all like her.

He stopped to consider again, finger tips drumming lightly on the arm rest. Elena strove desperately not to fidget or give any other sign of outward discomfort as Rufus continued to study her for several agonising seconds. His sharp intelligent eyes appeared to bore right into her, seeking out all the chinks and weaknesses in her defences. "...I must say this is very disappointing Elena," he murmured after a pause, his voice taken on the slow deliberate tone of a disgruntled teacher scolding an errant child. Elena continued staring straight ahead, determined to keep her resolve. Rufus' eyes narrowed briefly before suddenly lighting up as if hit with a sudden notion, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards as he played his next hand, "I do not like to think how Tseng will respond when I have to inform him that you wantonly disobeyed an order from the President."

Elena blinked and took a sharp intake of breath. Mind thrown into sudden confusion by this loosely veiled threat she looked away, dropping her head to stare down at her feet. The shot had hit home alright. From his seat Rufus smiled with the confident expression of a victor.

Still staring at her shoes Elena blinked a couple more times before slowly raising her head to face the President once more. She gazed back deadpan at his smug expression before responding in a calm quiet voice.

"Will you also be telling him the nature of the order sir?"

Rufus' smile disappeared instantly from his countenance. In fact his jaw went so far as to drop slightly before he quickly erased the stunned expression from his face. Eyes narrowing he leaned back in his chair as if re-evaluating the figure standing in front of him. Bringing his hand back up to his face he scrutinised Elena for a second more before smiling slowly, "Touché." He muttered in a barely discernable voice.

Elena returned his look, fighting desperately to give no sign of the cyclone of fear and elation currently swirling through her head. Was that it? Had Rufus just conceded defeat? _Had she won?!_

Rufus continued to glare daggers at his employee, one hand covering his mouth while the other returned to drumming irritatedly on the chair upholstery. Expelling air from his nostrils in a long drawn out sigh he dropped his hand from his face, "I'm afraid you're not leaving me with many options here Elena. Are you really going to make me do this?" He asked, his voice both ominous and reluctant.

Elena bristled but remained unwavering. What was she forcing him to do? Oh gods, it was going to be something awful she just knew it! Oh why had she kicked up such a fuss over such a mediocre thing?

"Fine!" Rufus snapped, he stood up sharply from his chair, taking Elena by surprise as he stepped towards her, his blonde head now looking down at her rather than up. He crossed his arms haughtily in front of him for a moment before seeming to think better of it, opting to thrust his hands into his jacket pockets instead.

Opening his mouth to speak he paused as if suddenly unsure. Elena felt her pulse quicken with anticipation as Rufus gritted his teeth, his face a picture of restrained discomfort, and attempted again.

"Look.. I'll level with you Elena," he said to the non-responsive Turk, his eyes shifted to the side rather than looking straight at her, "Truth is, it wouldn't do for me to show up at this event alone, I need a... an accomplice."

"Oh," Elena lowered her eyes from Rufus' face, suddenly feeling the need, like he did, to look anywhere else other than directly at his face. Unclasping her hands she moved one arm across her chest, hugging the other arm in her familiar, slightly defensive, slightly shy gesture. Settling her eyes to focus on his necktie straight ahead of her she fought the urge not to smile, "one of those etiquette things again?"

"Yes, exactly." Rufus humphed grouchily. A few seconds of silence passed between them as each appeared to wait for the other one to speak. Elena was the first to break the silence, a small smile playing across her face despite her best efforts as she continued to avoid looking directly at Rufus.

"Sooo, this is more of a request?" she ventured, trying hard to keep a nonchalant air to her voice.

Rufus' eyes narrowed to slits as his lips drew tight with vexation. "Yes," he muttered quietly, "I suppose it is."

Another weighted silence hung between them during which time Elena struggled to remain fixed to the spot rather than rock back and forth on her heels in a simpering fashion. "Well..." she continued in a sing-song voice, "if it's a request...". Rufus' brows furrowed with suspicion. "Shouldn't it be phrased as such?"

It was with immense satisfaction that Elena spotted the slight tick in Rufus' jaw as he considered her words.

"Don't push it." He growled softly. Elena merely stared back, her eyes wide with a faux-innocent expression.

Rufus worked his jaw a little more before taking in another long, reluctant breath. "Very well..." he conceded, "Elena, would you do me the honour of accompanying me to the party tomorrow night?"

Elena couldn't help but smile at the formality of the proposition. "Yes sir," she answered, her eyes crinkling with mirth, "anything for etiquette's sake!"

Another scowl flickered across the President's features at this playful jibe. "Good," he said sharply, lifting his chin in a dignified manner, "all settled then." Turning sharply he quickly returned to his chair, redressing the balance of employer and employee. "Still," he continued in a loud, business-like voice, "you haven't answered my original question."

Elena frowned, trying to recollect what the question had been.

"Do you have any formal outfits to hand?" Rufus prompted.

Elena looked away and shook her head lightly. She had been so caught up in watching Rufus squirm that she had forgotten what her newly accepted role at the party would entail.

Rufus smiled sardonically, "Thought not." Considering her a moment he reached into an inner pocket in his coat, pulling out a wallet. "Here-", Elena could only watch boggle-eyed as he extracted a sizeable wad of gil and proceeded to offer it to her. "I'm sure there must be stores in this town which cater for such events. Take the rest of the afternoon and go find something- appropriate."

Elena stared in horror at the money, mouth slightly agape. After a second of statue-like non-action on her part Rufus frowned in confusion and looked down at his extended hand, "What, not enough? I must admit you are probably a better judge of such things than me, very well-" He started to extract his wallet again, prompting Elena into a response-

"_I will not take your money sir!", _her words rushed out in a high-pitched squeak.

Rufus studied her for a moment before sighing and slumping his shoulders in obvious frustration. "Damn it all Elena, we were so close to brokering an agreement! Must you really object to every point I make?"

"It wouldn't be appropriate sir." Elena answered weakly.

"Elena, this is a business event. Hence you may consider _this_" he waved the money in his hand for emphasis, "a business expense. Unless of course you'd rather I took it out of your wages.."

Elena bit her bottom lip, her face twisting and contorting with indecision. How did this always happen? Just when she felt she'd achieved a stable footing with Rufus he would do something to whip her self-assurance out from under her, leaving her sprawled in an undignified heap of her own confusion.

Reluctantly she extended a hand and took the money proffered. Smiling, Rufus settled back into his chair, astute enough not to make any further comment at this stage. Holding the notes gingerly in her hand Elena stared at them blankly before slowly pocketing the money.

Turning, she made to leave before pausing and swivelling around to look back at him, "What will you do sir?"

"Me?" Rufus returned her look quizzically.

"While I'm gone, sir. I need to know you'll be safe while I-, without a bodyguard that is."

Amusement flashed across his features,

"Professional as always. Do not worry about me; I will barricade myself in my room while awaiting your return!"

Pausing to digest this comment Elena sighed lightly before turning to walk dejectedly out of the room. Dress shopping, how had she gotten into this mess?!

_AU note: Once again please send your reviews- I can't believe this story has got 19 reviews already, you guys are the best!!_

_Oh, and reader suggestions/contributions are also welcome. Like I said I already have the key plot for this story figured out, in fact I've gone so far as to write down a plan in my 'fanfiction ideas' notebook (a notebook no one in my real life must EVER find- I'm like a superhero, only my secret-identity is actually an ubergeek). However, I'm open to ideas/thoughts, if I think they'd gel with the story I'll try to write them in!_


	11. Chapter 11

_AU note: Why can't I sign in? Oh why can't I sign in??! Get your act together FanFiction, I've got a chapter to publish!_

_...Yay, there we go! _

_Gosh, people are getting really excited about the prospect of a party/Elena in a dress. I can't tell you how pleased it makes me to see everyone enjoying this fic, I break out into a grin every time I read a new review, thanks again guys! I'm glad people are enjoying the slow burn of Rufus and Elena's relationship, I'm having great fun writing it!_

_What I haven't been having so much fun with is trying to decide on Elena's dress. I realise I inadvertently wrote myself into a corner with this plotline as I've now put pressure on myself to come up with the goods, when in truth I had given the topic very little thought up until this point. So this past week I've been scratching my head about it. Although I have an idea of where I want to go I thought I might appeal to you guys to help me out. What do YOU think Elena should wear? Answers on a postcard please (or just include it in your review)!_

"Oh no Mr. Tuesti, I'm afraid the President left a couple of days ago."

"Left?" Reeve echoed, that sinking feeling of foiled despair that had become all too familiar in the past few weeks returning once more.

"Yes, I'm afraid so," despite Gibbs' declaration of regret the Shin-Ra manager looked anything but sorry at the departure of the President, if anything he appeared relieved, an almost goofy smile plastered across his face, "great shame really, things were ticking along so nicely with him at the helm."

Gods this really was beyond frustrating- after wasting his time at the head quarters in Edge for the past week Reeve had finally discovered Rufus' whereabouts via his sources at WRO. Quick footing it to Junon he was now once again faced with the fact that Rufus was one step ahead of him and had already left the harbour-side town. Someone of a more sensitive demeanour than Reeve might be tempted to start taking the whole farce personally.

With a heavy sigh the WRO commander looked up at the grinning face of Gibbs.

"Any idea where he went?"

***

Elena stared at herself in the mirror. Sighing she attempted to twist around to gain a view of her back; no this wouldn't do, this wouldn't do at all.

Why had she even allowed the shop assistant to persuade her to try on such a _revealing _dress, what exactly did she have that was worth revealing? She couldn't boast many of the attributes that were so alluring in other women; not the curves or bust of Tifa Lockhart, nor the natural grace of Aerith Gainsborough. It was with a slightly bitter tang that Elena recalled the adoration such women had inspired amidst the ranks of her own co-workers back in the day. She herself with her flat-chested, skinny, almost boyish physique had ignited no such immediate interest upon first joining the Turks.

Maybe if she paired it with a shawl or some other kind of cover-up...

Absently she found herself wondering what Rufus might look for in a woman. The President had never given away much about his tastes or predilections on that front, she knew he had found Scarlet repulsive but that was hardly surprising. Tall and elegant, she decided, classical features, someone who could match him in terms of status and dignitary. Frowning she stopped, half-surprised and half-annoyed at herself, why was she thinking such thoughts anyway?

"Everything okay in there?" the shop-assistant's perky voice sounded from the other side of the curtain. Flinching Elena took a step back, "Y-yes, fine thanks" she managed, hoping she sounded relaxed. What was it with these up-class boutiques? Elena had had enough trouble working up the courage to go into one in the first place, opting for a long time to simply peek at the shop fronts in the vain hope of discerning whether they had any worthwhile dresses without actually stepping through the door. Now once inside she found herself being hounded with the attentions of an overzealous assistant asking her a million questions about the type of event she was going to and the kind of dress she wanted, none of which Elena could really answer- what did she care whether her dress was 'shiny' or 'shimmers' for Gaia's sake!

Twisting back around and looking herself up and down one last time Elena shook her head decidedly, nope she couldn't pull this off. Even if she'd had the figure-confidence there were other aspects to her body that still ruled _this _dress out at least: From her contorted position Elena could make out the edge of a fearsome looking burn mark under her left shoulder-blade, peeking up from the line of the dress. It was Loz's handiwork, a particularly savage interrogation when the oversized silver-haired baby had grown tearful and irate at her continued failure to give up the whereabouts of his precious 'mother' and pulled out the dualhoud...

Shoulders drooping Elena sighed before calling out to the attendant hovering expectantly at the other side of the curtain.

"Do you have anything a little more... well, a little less..." she paused, struggling for the word, "...showy?"

***

A few hours and several humiliating episodes later Elena finally dragged herself back to the villa. Dropping her purchases on a pile on her bed she looked at the collection of bags with a weary, worried face. Had she thought of everything? She didn't want tomorrow night to come around only to realise that there was some key item to her wardrobe that she had forgotten all about, Elena didn't exactly feel like an expert in such matters.

With one final resigned sigh she turned and went in search of Rufus, she hoped for the sake of her frayed nerves that he was in a jovial or, scratching that, at least a quiet mood. A quick inspection of the main living area and kitchen however found him not to be there. Looking in each room of the house sequentially Elena still came up empty handed. The final room she had yet to check was the master bedroom; Elena approached the closed door with some trepidation, knocking lightly on the polished wood she held her breath and waited. No answer. Maybe he was asleep? Frowning indecisively Elena knocked a little louder, calling out in a loud clear voice, "Sir?" Still no answer.

Elena nibbled at her bottom lip, unsure of what to do. Taking a sharp intake of breath she knocked sharply on the door to ensure he would be aware of her presence, "Sir? It's me Elena sir.... I'm coming in!" Opening the door hesitantly, she peeked in to the President's room. Pausing a second she opened the door wide and stepped in- the room was empty.

Elena looked around her in confusion, she had searched the villa from top to bottom. One thing was clear, Rufus wasn't in it.

"Barricaded my foot!" she muttered angrily to herself. Stepping back out of the room she rubbed the back of her neck, trying to decide what to do next. She had only been gone a few hours and her charge, the person she was meant to protect throughout the duration of the trip, had disappeared.

Fighting the growing sense of panic that was starting to blossom in her head Elena tried to think rationally. He had probably just got bored and wandered off, typical Rufus, only thinking of himself! Still no, it wasn't fair of her to jump to conclusions like that.. maybe he really was in trouble, hurt, kidnapped! Oh Gods, Elena didn't even want to think about the possibility of having to explain to Tseng that the President had come to harm while she had been out dress shopping!

Half-running out of the villa she stopped at the road, unsure of which direction to head. Suddenly, in an inspiration of common sense a single word rang through her head, _'phone!' _Pulling out her cell Elena scrolled through the list of numbers with a slightly shaky hand: 'Reno', 'Rude'- damn it, why did everyone she knew have to have a name starting with 'R'! Finally she lighted upon the President's number, a number which she had never dialled nor received a call from but one which Tseng had had the good sense to provide her with upon her assignment to this mission.

Dialling the number Elena pressed the phone to her ear, her free hand running through her short blonde locks in a nervous gesture. The cell rang for what fell like an exorbitant length of time before the other end picked up and an idle "Hello?" sounded in the earpiece.

"Sir?!" Elena nearly cried out with relief, "where are you?"

"Ah Elena," Rufus' voice lulled, "finished already? That was quick."

"Sir, where are you?" she tried again, the stress in her voice all too apparent.

"Hmmm, what?" Rufus paused as if considering the question, "you know I don't really know offhand- hang on a sec."

Elena listened with growing disbelief as she heard the sound of muffled exchanges on the other end of the phone. A second later Rufus' voice came back on the line, "Apparently I'm at the Cafe Mer."

"And how do I get there?" Elena asked through gritted teeth, the frustration she had felt upon first realising Rufus' absence now once again pushing its way to the forefront.

"Well that all depends on where you are."

"The villa!" she almost yelled, resisting the urge to add on _'where you should be too!'_

"Ah good, then you're close. Just take a left and head towards the ocean..."

***

Elena walked along the dusty pathway, though the sun was sinking in the late afternoon its rays still retained enough heat to make her uniform just the wrong side of comfortable. The rub of the jacket against her neck certainly didn't help to lift her irritable mood. To her right the sea winked at her from between the twisted, silvery branches of the trees, the air dry and carrying a sweet, woody aroma that was quite unlike the tar and exhaust fumes she was used to back in Edge.

Rufus' claim that she was 'close' proved to be something of an exaggeration. More than once Elena had hesitated en-route, wondering if she had missed a turning along the way. It was only after a good twenty or thirty minutes of slightly angry striding that she eventually arrived at the destination. The cafe was a small white-washed building. Against its slightly crumbling facade a flaming trellis of exotic red flowers had taken up almost an entire wall and half the roof, giving the appearance that the building was slowly being consumed by the blossom. In front of the cafe a patio accommodated half a dozen sets of tables and chairs, almost all unoccupied, while further on the land dropped rapidly away to offer up a spectacular view of the jewel-coloured ocean.

It was at one of the small patio tables that Elena finally located her charge, reclining in the shade of a parasol. Despite the heat Rufus was still dressed in his pristine white suit looking none the worse for it. In fact he looked fairly cool and composed, quite a contrast to Elena whose complexion had started to resemble that of a flamingo after walking around in a suit and tie all afternoon. Across the table from Rufus another man sat talking, much older and larger, with gray hair and a round, friendly looking face, a panama hat perched on his crown.

It was only when Elena had walked straight up to the table that Rufus bothered to look up, smiling at her with a relaxed, easy-going countenance.

"Ah Elena, there you are. Elena, I would like you to meet Mr. Bernard Forbes. Forbes, Elena." He gestured between the two with a languid wave of his hand.

"Delighted to meet you my dear," Forbes said, rising from his seat enthusiastically to take Elena's hand in his own large, slightly clammy palm, "Charming, absolutely charming." He smiled looking her over with twinkling eyes as he gestured towards a vacant seat at the table. "You know I do like your hair, tell me is it the fashion over in Midgar to wear it so short?"

"Er..", Elena's brows creased with a mix of confusion and piqué as she settled down into the seat offered. Next to her she could see a slight smile start to tug at the corners of Rufus' mouth.

Forbes nodded as if Elena had confirmed his query and continued his commentary, "Of course we're a little behind the times over here, can't say fashion is my _forte_, much more the wife's area of expertise. But er, if you don't mind me asking my dear- what's with the suit? Surely you're not one of those urm, oh dash it what were they called now?.. Turls?"

"Turks." Elena corrected watching Rufus' growing smile from the corner of her eye, while trying desperately to keep up with the man's one-sided chatter.

"Yes, that's it-Turks! Dashed odd name if you ask me. But still, you don't mean to say you're one of them do you?"

Elena nodded.

"Eh? But you're so tiny my dear! A mere waif of a girl!" Forbes rubbed his chin while looking Elena up and down, a slight frown forming on his features, "Not meaning to offend or anything but bless me-- if a strong wind were to roll in from the ocean I'd be liable to think you'd be blown away!

"Rufus," he continued, turning to address the third member of the party, "what are you thinking, allowing this poor fragile creature to work in such a perilous occupation?"

"Me?!" Rufus protested, "What in Gaia has it got to do with me what Elena does for a living, or how skinny she is while she's at it?"

"Well it's hardly gentlemanly conduct, allowing a woman to stand between oneself and the line of danger."

"Really Mr. Forbes, it's perfectly fine. I'm quite happy being a Turk." Elena stepped in, attempting to defuse the situation.

"Don't let her innocent appearance fool you Forbes." Rufus warned good-humouredly, "this 'fragile creature' is a trained fighter- she could level you in a heartbeat."

"Oh, I don't doubt it my boy!" Forbes replied laughing, "why, if I was thirty years younger, eh? Ha, ha, ha!"

Elena stared blankly at the round chuckling face unsure of how to respond. So this was the famous Forbes whose party Rufus had deigned to grace with his presence the following night. Although Elena realised she wasn't quite sure what she had expected she was fairly convinced _this _wasn't it! She'd been picturing a pompous, arrogant figure, someone akin to the old former executives of the Shin-Ra regime, not an over-zealous chattering old man who was treating her with great familiarity only a minute into their acquaintance. After a moment's hesitation she gave a half-hearted smile before twisting around to face Rufus.

"Sir," she dropped her voice to a whisper, tilting her head towards him in a confidential gesture, "sir, I thought you said you would stay at the villa."

"Hmmm?" Rufus asked, appearing to only half-listen, "oh yes, well of course I _had_ planned on staying there, but that was before Forbes here showed up."

"Heard your boat had anchored," Forbes cut in good humouredly, "thought I'd pop by, offer a greeting and all that!"

Rufus nodded, "And of course, having just arrived I had nothing in the way of refreshments to offer him."

"No need, no need," Forbes shook his head, "always thinking of others before yourself my boy. Really I was quite content."

"So we decided to go look for somewhere." Rufus concluded blithely.

"Just a little place I happen to know," Forbes responded in turn, "capital view! _Plus you don't get too many day trippers straying this far up from the beach."_ This last comment offered with a conspiratorial whisper and nod.

Elena offered another accommodating smile before turning back towards Rufus. She was tempted to pursue the matter, to fully berate him for leaving the security of the villa without prior warning, still Forbes presence discounted that option for the time being. Instead she settled for scowling angrily at him, her lips pursed disapprovingly. Rufus looked back at her, his face a picture of innocence before noting her irritation; brow creasing with puzzlement, he seemed to consider her vexed expression for a moment before mouthing a silent 'what?'

A light chuckle broke Elena's concentration, causing both her and Rufus to look over across the table. Forbes was leaning back in his chair, watching the two of them with a light smile playing across his face. "Charming, absolutely charming" he sighed almost to himself.

Frowning slightly Elena straightened her back and shifted away from Rufus, settling back down into her seat. Forbes watched her with some interest before turning his small dark eyes in Rufus' direction once more.

"Rufus my boy you look far too pale, positively pasty!" he suddenly chided in a large booming voice. "Don't you agree my dear?" he asked, turning to Elena.

Elena blinked in surprise, only managing another stilted "Er..."

"Just as well you came here when you did!" Forbes continued, not waiting for an answer, "Don't suppose Midgar ever gets anything in the way of sunny spells."

"Midgar is ancient history Forbes, the city is known as Edge these days."

"Midgar, Edge whatever you care to call it," Forbes sniffed obstinately, "bet it still has the same atrocious weather." He paused looking at Rufus and seemed to consider, "Or maybe it's the suit," he mused rubbing his chin with his forefinger with the same gesture he had used when contemplating Elena, "perhaps the white accentuates the paleness.... I don't know, like I said my wife is a better judge of these things.... Still you always would insist on wearing it. You know my dear-" He turned again to face Elena, voice once more dropping to a colluding whisper as if she had suddenly taken the role of his chief confidante, "some would think he grew up in that suit, _I _know better however. Why I was friends with his father back when Shin-Ra was just a weapons manufacturer, knew young Rufus when he was yay high." Forbes held up a podgy hand to about table height to demonstrate.

Elena couldn't help but break out into a genuine grin at the thought of Rufus ever being so small, let alone wearing something other than his trademark white suit.

"Now then Forbes, I'm sure Elena isn't interested in any of that." Rufus said, his voice taking on a low faintly warning tone.

"Oh no please," Elena answered in a bright voice, "I'd be more than happy to hear Mr. Forbes continue on the subject!" Rufus' eyes narrowed as they levelled at Elena, she in turn threw him back a beaming smile before turning to Forbes, "Please Mr. Forbes, you were saying?"

"Eh, what? Er, oh yes, erm... sorta lost my train of thought I'm afraid."

"We were discussing the President's childhood." Elena prompted gaily, jumping in before Rufus had time to sabotage the conversation.

"Oh yes, that's right. Precocious child, you know, very precocious..." From the side of her vision Elena saw Rufus sag slightly in his chair before promptly reaching for his drink.

"Really?" She tittered encouragingly.

"Oh my yes!"

"Can you think of any examples?" she prompted.

"Hmm, well you know, just a general kind of precociousness. Very determined, wouldn't budge on anything... you know, I _do _recall he once got into the _most_ blazing row with the then head of the Turks, could only have been about ten at the time, Rufus that is not the head of the Turks, heh, heh! Now what was the man's name, damned if I can remember... Rufus, Rufus you must recall, what was his name?"

Elena twisted back in her seat to look at her employer. As far as she could see Rufus had morphed from a relaxed carefree state to doing a very good impression of being in a sulk, his body slumped moodily in his chair, head propped up by his elbow. At being addressed he looked up through sullen eyes before answering reluctantly:

"...Verdot."

"That's right Verdot!" Forbes replied, either unaware or unperturbed by Rufus' obvious discomfort, "Worked yourself up into a frightful state with that one, accused him of insubordination, even threatened to have the man fired (keep in mind he was only ten at the time my dear. Why, I don't think I even knew the meaning of the word 'insubordination' when I was that age)! Do you recall what the little fracas was about my boy?"

"No, not really." Rufus answered in the same sullen tone.

"No, neither can I.... Still, the poor man eh? Can you imagine my dear? Being head of the Turks and having to put up with all the unreasonable demands and moods of a child all day?"

"Oh I don't know, I think I can picture it." Elena allowed herself a small simpering smile, unable to resist glancing over at Rufus as she did so. On his part Rufus looked up at her from his dejected position, his eyes narrowing a fraction more as he caught her smirk.

"His father was very taken by it." Forbes continued, "It was one of his favourite topics of conversation at every party and convention for months afterwards- how his boy had tried to fire a senior member of the administration! Lord, I wish I could remember what it was about..."

"Talking of parties, is everything ready for tomorrow Forbes?" Rufus cut in, pouncing on the opportunity to change the subject.

"Wha-? Oh, oh yes of course. Quite looking forward to it, going to be one of my more memorable ones I think! ... And I have it on fairly good authority that the entire Ingham clan will be making an appearance, what do you think of that eh? Hmm?"

Rufus smiled graciously while Elena blinked- in all the ruckus and organisation that had been leading up to the party she realised she had almost forgotten the whole reason they were going in the first place.

"I must thank you again for arranging all this Forbes, it really is too kind of you." Rufus acknowledged.

"Not at all, don't mention it. Why, if anything I should be thanking you- it's not every day one of my little get togethers is able to boast such impressive guests of honour as the two of you!"

Elena smiled again but this time her smile was even more forced than usual. Only that morning she hadn't even considered herself as a guest in any meaningful sense of the word, now she found herself a guest of 'honour', what the hell? For the second time that day she found herself questioning how she had gotten into this mess.

***

"Well that was painful." Rufus said in a matter-of-fact tone. The two of them were making their way back to the villa. The evening sun, positioned low behind the trees, sent out bands of orange and shadow across the path in front of them.

"Really? I quite enjoyed it." Elena answered good naturedly, "I thought he was a very sweet old man."

A non-committal 'hmpph' was all she got in reply.

"Do you think we'll get to speak to him more at the party?" Elena pressed, baiting Rufus as much as she dared.

"Oh no doubt," he responded grumpily, "I'm sure he'll be talking your ear off all evening with more anecdotes from my childhood!"

Elena giggled, looking across at Rufus with an impish grin.

"_Do _you remember why you tried to fire Verdot sir?" she asked inquisitively.

"Only vaguely."

"Well why then, vaguely?"

"... He wouldn't do what I wanted."

"Oh" Elena answered softly, a little put-off by the cryptic, slightly ominous reply.

They walked on together in silence for a few more yards. After a while Rufus looked down at his leg and gave a soft grunt of irritation.

"Everything okay sir?" Elena asked.

Rufus' nose wrinkled with distaste as he continued walking forward with the aid of his cane. "Just this damn messed up leg of mine," he muttered, looking down again at the limb that had suffered the brunt of the damage the day of the Diamond Weapon attack. "Been overdoing it a bit of late.. Don't know why I let Forbes convince me to hike all the way to that blasted bar."

He carried on a few more steps before realising that the other set of footsteps had suddenly ceased. Turning around Rufus looked quizzically back at his bodyguard who had stopped short in the middle of the trail.

"Elena, why have we stopped?" He asked, his voice a mixture of tiredness and irritation.

"That's right," Elena said in a piqued voice, "I forgot, I'm still mad at you."

Rufus' eyebrows rose questioningly, "Still mad at me? Why?" he tilted his head quizzically, "...Is it because I'm making you wear a dress?"

"No!" Elena replied, biting her lip to stop herself giving voice to a stream of indignant thoughts, _'don't play innocent, it doesn't suit you.' _"You know full well why I'm angry at you." She eventually answered in a clipped tone.

"I assure you I do not," Rufus answered, his brows furrowing in apparent sincerity even as he forced back a smile at Elena's growing anger, "I cannot think what I could have done to deserve such egregious treatment."

Elena scowled back at his butter-wouldn't-melt expression before the damn broke on her pent up frustration unleashing a tidal wave of retorts; "You were _suppose _to stay in the villa! You told me you would! Not so much as a note or a phone call, I nearly had a heart attack! What if--!! Do you mind telling me what's so funny?!"

Elena glared incredulously at the infuriating grin that was now fixed on Rufus' face.

"Nothing," he coughed, shaking his head, the persistent smile suggesting otherwise, "these are all valid grievances."

Elena turned sharply away, crossing her arms across her chest, "You're mocking me." She said through tightened-lips

"No, no." Rufus said in a placating voice, attempting to walk around to face his infuriated bodyguard, "I am just a little surprised that's all- that you would be so concerned for my welfare."

"Oh believe me I'm not!" Elena snapped, twisting on her heel to undo the progress Rufus had made, "That is, I am-- but only in so much as it's my job to be!"

Rufus nodded in agreement, amusement still tinting his words, "Yes, absolutely correct. Just as it should be. Please accept my apologies for my lack of consideration."

Elena didn't reply, simply hunching her shoulders all the more. After a pause Rufus attempted to edge around to stand in front of her again. Upon facing her he dipped his head to try to meet her downcast eyes.

"I know-" he began, his voice still coaxing but now with a genuine note of contrition, "I know I can act a little thoughtlessly sometimes. Learning to empathise was never a priority in my upbringing."

Elena remained steadfast in her indignation, turning her head away from Rufus before speaking. "You blame your parents for your conduct sir?" she asked stiffly.

He smiled wanly, "No," he murmured, "no you're right of course. The flaw is all mine and so should the remedy be. Still," he continued his voice perking up slightly, "I could benefit occasionally from someone helping to keep me in check."

Elena felt her reserve soften. Still not meeting Rufus' gaze, she nonetheless allowed the lightest of smiles to flit across her features. Rufus caught it immediately and returned it to her ten-fold.

"So, are we friends again?"

Elena did look up this time, surprise filling her eyes. "Friends, sir?"

"Well yes," Rufus answered, his eyes fixed steadily on Elena's, "I would like to think that we have become friends over the past few weeks." He hesitated, as if in anticipation, "Don't you agree?"

Elena felt herself flush and quickly bowed her head down at the ground, her mind a dizzying mix of awkwardness and strangely...delight. After a moment she realised Rufus was still waiting patiently for a response, fidgeting she mumbled something incoherent.

Rufus cocked his head to the side, a small smile gracing his lips.

"Am I to take that little inarticulacy as an agreement?"

Elena slid her eyes to the side, trying desperately to avoid eye contact. After wallowing in her discomfort a second longer she straightened her head and continued walking back towards the villa. Rufus watched her pass by with interest before falling in line with her footsteps. A moment of quietness passed between them, the only sounds coming from the crunch of their boots and the light chorus of crickets singing to each other from amongst the scrub.

"How was your shopping expedition?" he asked after a while, his voice calm and friendly.

"Hellish."

"Did you get a dress?"

"Yes."

"May I see it?"

"... No."

_AU note: Hooray, managed to get one more altercation in between Rufus and Elena before the party scene. The next chapter is going to herald a significant *shift* in the progress of their relationship, I'll leave it at that..._


	12. Chapter 12

_AU note: God, this chapter took forever to write! Plus life kept intervening and dragged me away from my computer on several occasions (damn the real world- keeps making me go outside and socialise!). _

_Thanks ever so, ever so much to everyone who contributed ideas to the 'Elena dress' question. I was really surprised and touched by the thought that went into the responses! Though the ideas were varied there were some common themes that were quite telling- everyone seemed to agree that Elena's dress should be simple and not over flashy (kinda like the girl herself!)._

_Colour proved to be a tricky one (apologies for the British spelling)- a couple of people suggested light shades such as cream or pale blue. I thought these tones were perfect for reflecting Elena's innocent nature (yeah, even tho' she's a Turk she's still got an innocent side). However, when I imagined pairing her with Rufus in such a dress all I could think was 'too much white', or too much pastel at least. Damn Rufus and his white suit, something must be done! _

_Koalababy suggested green for the dress which I thought was a great idea. My own hair is a dirty-blonde, becoming lighter in the Summer (&/or with the help of peroxides _;)_), and I know that jewel colours can often suit blondes. I then spent an afternoon obsessively looking up pictures of Keira Knightley in that green dress in 'Atonement' and came to the conclusion that emerald would be a lovely shade._

_So, without further ado here it is folks. Sorry it took so long but I hope the added bulk makes up for it! (Warning, there is a LOT of talking in this chapter)._

Elena contemplated her reflection for what must have been the twelfth time that hour, various voices in her head once again clamouring to question the shrewdness of her purchase. On the one hand she liked the simplicity of the dress, the way it clung lightly to her frame, accentuating what little waist she possessed. Its length skimming her ankles, the neckline petering off into delicate straps that revealed her neck and shoulders. Most importantly the back was high enough to hide the ugly scarring below her shoulder blades. Yet the colour had her reeling between happy elation and cold-blooded panic. To be fair it was the colour that had drawn her to the dress in the first place. Living in Edge was like living in one of those old black and white movies; everything around her- the sky, the buildings, even the outfits of the people, all decked out in shades of monotonous, soul-sapping grey. Here, by contrast, was a colour so precious and rare that one would barely ever come across it within the rusting streets of the city, or indeed the shady recesses of her previous home, the Midgar slums- A deep lustrous green, full of life and vibrancy, the colour of sunlight hitting leaves. It made her want to laugh out loud. But then again, when illuminated from another angle the shade didn't appear natural at all- it was harsh and mineral-like, the colour of envy. When Elena saw herself from that perspective the dress was too much, almost venomous, and she wanted to tear it off and throw it on the floor. But still it was the only outfit she had and there was no time to take it back now.

Biting her lip Elena forced herself to pay attention to her face rather than the dress. She absently ran a comb through her hair a couple of times before giving up and pouting dejectedly. What exactly could one do with such short hair to make it dressy? She'd vaguely considered pinning it back but then decided it would look too girlish, so instead she left it as it was. Smiling to herself Elena recalled Forbes' interest in her hairstyle the evening before- truth be told she had cut it upon first joining the Turks as a way of appearing professional, hoping to shed her clumsy, adolescent mannerisms in place of a new, sharp, serious Elena... Admittedly the attempt had not quite succeeded.

Fighting her mounting frustration Elena made a go at putting on make-up, again a practice she had little experience with and approached somewhat hesitantly. Previous attempts at making herself appear 'sensual', conducted in the privacy of her own room, had left Elena looking either like a racoon, or like one of the harlots who used to work at the Honeybee Inn. Aware that she had little time to rectify any drastic mistakes made this time around she applied her mascara and rouge with a light-handed caution.

***

Rufus was sitting, almost slouching on the settee in the main living area of the villa. It was, he thought to himself, somewhat cliché to be left waiting for what felt like ages for a woman to get ready for a party. Still, the fact that the woman in question was Elena amused him slightly, before this evening he would not have pegged her as being subject to the same vanities and dressing rituals of other women...

..Nevertheless they were supposed to have left half an hour ago and Rufus was not one who was used to being kept waiting!

The sound of clicking, hesitant steps alerted him to Elena's imminent approach along the hallway. Struggling out of his reclined position Rufus stood up just as she opened the door.

It had been a long time since Elena had worn heels, having spent the most part of the last few years walking around in the flat, sensible footwear of her Turk uniform. So it was with some trepidation that she stepped forward, her posture stiff and awkward. Sensing Rufus' eyes look across to assess her Elena immediately dropped her head, arm crossing over her chest to clutch the other in that familiar nervous gesture of hers. There was a moment of apprehensive silence before Rufus gave his verdict:

"Very nice," was all he said, in a calm offhand manner. Daring a glance up Elena saw Rufus looking back at her, a small smirk on his face. Smiling self consciously, Elena glanced down again, raising a hand to her face to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

Rufus smiled inwardly at her nervousness, _'Not enough makeup' _he thought to himself.

"Shall we go?" he asked, gesturing towards the exit.

***

Forbes place turned out to be only a short distance from the Shin-Ra villa. As they approached its presence was soon announced by a low swell of voices and laughter carried across the otherwise quiet air, the sound growing in intensity as they drew closer.

No one was there to meet them formally upon their arrival to the house, no Forbes standing at the door to welcome his guests in. Instead Elena and Rufus simply walked into the open doors of the villa. Stepping through a large open drawing room they came across several small pockets of guests, mostly middle-aged and affluent in appearance, talking tete-a-tete with drinks in hand. Around them waiters wound a path like a line of ants, back and forth from somewhere within the inner depths of the house, returning with full trays of drinks or hors d'œuvres. They barely paused in front of the small clusters of party-goers however, but instead made their way directly towards a large set of glass doors, opened up to allow a cool flow of night air along with a resonating hum of voices into the house. Following suit Rufus led the way through the doors towards the noise, stepping out onto a raised patio area.

There were people, far too many people for Elena's liking, it made her feel claustrophobic just watching the scene! She had been expecting some quiet, reserved affair; a dinner party or something similar, somewhere for business deals to be conducted in a quiet, sophisticated setting. Instead Forbes' party looked like it could easily tip into a fully blown riot at any moment! Most of the guests were indeed located not within the villa but outside in the garden, packed at too high a density within the palm-fringed enclosure. They reminded Elena of a flock of birds, hundreds of them all chattering and squawking together, the men clad in straightforward suits and tuxedos while the woman were draped in a rich diversity of decorations- feathers, silks and jewels sticking out at various angles like some exotic plumage. Somewhere in amongst the throng Elena could hear but not see a band playing an upbeat tempo, their efforts were left unheeded though as no one at the minute appeared inclined to dance, the evening still being too early and the wine only just beginning to flow. Around the party-goers the still night air was heavy with blue tobacco smoke and the heady scent of a night-blooming flower.

From their vantage on the patio Rufus perused the scene with the bored, resigned eyes of someone who had seen it all before. Elena on the other hand stared in open-mouthed trepidation, almost retreating a step under a wave of newfound anxiety. Raising a hand to her face she stopped it halfway, settling it towards her neck instead.

Rufus caught the gesture almost offhand- fingertips pressing lightly against her collarbone, halfway between her mouth and heart. Faltering, all the plans and tactics he had been going over in his head mere moments ago came stumbling to a halt. Instead he found himself focusing solely on the image before him. Awed by the scene in front of her, Elena appeared to have momentarily forgotten herself, and with that lost all the self-conscious modesty and awkwardness that had been weighing her down. Suddenly it wasn't too little makeup she was wearing, it was the perfect amount. Any more would have appeared garish, vulgar on such delicate features as hers. Her short blonde hair framed her face perfectly, the sharp cut accentuating the graceful slope of her jaw while her neck, so long hidden under high-buttoned collars, was now exposed to full view- long and white and vulnerable. Eyes moving downwards Rufus found himself inexplicably drawn to the dark, jewel-coloured fabric of her dress. The iridescent, almost fluid appearance of the silk reminded him of mako, that precious resource that had once been his all. Almost without meaning to he extended a hand, reaching out in a slow deliberate gesture to touch the fabric. He felt a slight thrill as the material greedily drew the heat from his fingers, rendering it cool to the touch. For her part the unexpected contact snapped Elena out of her revelry; a firm but gentle palm pressed against the base of her spine. Twisting her head around she looked up at Rufus with wide brown eyes, like a deer caught in the headlights. Lips parted as if caught between an exclamation and a question.

Rufus simply smiled back at her, lowering his head towards her own. "You'll do fine" he whispered, his voice calm and reassuring. Elena nodded, striving to contort her features into some semblance of self-assuredness. Straightening his stance Rufus smiled confidently as he led the two of them into the midst of the fray, guiding Elena's movements with a hand pressed against her lower back.

Trying her best to suppress the shiver that threatened to course its way across her back and shoulders Elena attempted to focus on why she was here and what her assigned role was:

'_Remember who you are, remember who you are.'_

"Should we go look for Forbes sir?" she asked in a weak voice, her eyes scanning the busy arena.

Rufus wrinkled his nose at the suggestion, "No, not quite yet. Believe me there'll be plenty of time for _that _later on. Let's see if we can't get a drink first without being spotted."

With a quick, cautious glance across the crowd Rufus led the way towards a table of drinks set out along one side of the garden. Picking up two slender glasses of champagne he turned towards Elena.

"Elena, will you _finally_ share a drink with me?" he asked, extending the flute towards her. Frowning Elena accepted the glass.

"Sir? I've shared drinks with you before."

"No you haven't. You've sat by and watched me whilst I've drunk but that's not the same thing. Don't think I didn't notice!"

With a shy smile Elena accepted the offered glass, sipping from it self-consciously while Rufus watched on, a gratified smile on his lips.

"So," he said after a pause, "what do you think?"

"Sir?"

"Of all this?" Rufus gestured at the scene in front of them, the milling crowd dressed up to the nines.

"It's very grand," Elena said quietly, "To be honest I feel a little intimidated."

"Don't be," Rufus scoffed, casting a derisive eye across the other guests, "the whole thing's fake, just one big act. Forbes is decent enough I suppose but he does like to surround himself with the shallowest of people, not a single person here is genuine."

"Have you been to many of these parties?"

"A handful, mostly during my time as VP, like I said before they're good for making associations if nothing else. Over the past few years though I've mostly avoided them. I spend enough time around fakers to wish to subject myself to more."

"Fakers?" Elena echoed, a little distressed at the implication.

"Fakes, hypocrites- our mutual acquaintance Gibbs being a prime example. The old regime in particular was rife with them." Rufus answered bitterly, "I suppose it comes with the line of work, still I do not think there are many people who have ever been openly honest towards me, even fewer who have done so benignly."

"Nor you to them." Elena said before she could stop herself, an unheeded moment of perception.

Rufus turned his gaze away from the party to fix his eyes directly on Elena, a self-deprecating smile twitching at the corners of his mouth, "Nor me to them." He conceded in a low voice.

"RUFUS, yoo-hoo!"

Still facing Elena Rufus closed his eyes briefly in a gesture of resigned despondency before turning to face his addressers. From across the garden Forbes could be seen, waving jovially as he headed a trio of people in a bee-line straight towards the pair.

"Ugh," Rufus sighed even as his face started to morph into a welcoming grin, "here they come."

"Be nice." Elena chided under her breath as she watched Forbes and his party approach.

"What are you talking about?" Rufus replied in the same whispering tone, "I'm always nice."

"There the two of you are!" Forbes boomed once he had made his way to them, "Have you been here long? Why didn't you come hunt us out? You know Cee of course don't you?"

'Cee' was a tall, dignified looking older woman stood by Forbes side, her dark hair (dyed as far as Elena could tell), styled-up in a prim, neat-looking bun, not a strand out of place. Upon Forbes' informal introduction she offered a jewel-bedecked hand towards Rufus.

"Rufus, it's been too long. How are you?"

"Cecily," Rufus responded, accepting the hand graciously, "I'm well thank you, all the better for seeing you of course."

"Such a charmer." Cecily murmured with pleasure. From her vantage point Elena could see the older woman make a quick, surreptitious scan of the young President, focusing particularly on the cane and injuries he had acquired as a result of the WEAPON attack. Too vested in her notions of proper politeness however, Cecily made no comment on the altered appearance of her guest.

"And this Cee is Elena, who is looking particularly lovely tonight I might add!" Forbes exclaimed, continuing the introductions in a booming voice, "Elena, this is my better half Cecily Forbes."

"A pleasure to meet you." Cecily said with a light nod and smile. Elena smiled and nodded in return.

"Now Rufus," Forbes continued, gesturing towards a third man within the group, "have you met old Updike here? Runs an up and coming line of hotels over here in Costa del Sol..."

The next hour or so was like a social tornado for Elena. Led by Forbes she found herself being whipped from one encounter to the next, a dizzying parade of his friends and acquaintances, high-ranking Costa del Sol socialites and hotshot businessmen, all of them eager to gain an introduction with the President of the Shin-Ra Corporation. Rufus in turn, was the calm eye of the storm. While Elena struggled to keep up with the constant reel of names and faces Rufus appeared to be in his element, all smiles and pleasantries, his entire persona emanating just the right mix of proud aloofness and social affability.

At first Elena felt intimidated, overwhelmed by the sudden interest being directed at her from people who wouldn't have given her the time of day had she been wearing her everyday Turk's uniform. For the first few encounters she was a bundle of nerves, expecting the other guests to see through her disguise and expose her as the fraud she was. Yet strangely they didn't, and instead seemed to accept her presence at Rufus' side, smiling and offering their hands to her as if she had a perfect right to be standing amongst them. For his part Rufus took steps to ensure that she was always positioned close by him within the centre of the frenzy, steering her from one encounter to the next with a light hand placed on the back or arm. While acutely aware of the contact at first, and the casual ease with which it was administered, over time Elena began to relax into it and even found herself starting to enjoy the gushing attentions lavished upon her.

"How do you keep up with it all?" She eventually asked Rufus, as they moved away from the end of yet another superficial conversation with people whose identity she had already forgotten, "I can't remember one name to the next!"

"I only remember the important ones." Rufus whispered back with a conspiratorial smile.

Before Elena had a chance to question him further Forbes reappeared with yet another enthusiastic guest. From that point on however she did begin to discern a pattern in Rufus' behaviour; while always polite, the time he dedicated to conversing with other guests varied distinctly from person to person. The chocobo breeder from the Golden Saucer got barely two minutes of Rufus' attention before he was making excuses to move on, while he spent a good twenty minutes conversing with an overseas trader over the pros and cons of setting up a shipment route between Junon and Mideel.

...She wondered if this was how Rufus always viewed the world; constantly assessing every situation and encounter in terms of its relevance to his own personal interests. Filtering life into that which was useful to him, and that which could be discarded.

Just as Elena was beginning to feel like they had met just about every guest at the party Forbes pulled out his grand finale. With deliberate ceremony he ushered a lone, greying individual towards Rufus and Elena. The man appeared nervous yet proud at the same time, like one who had had little experience amongst the ruling classes but still felt like he ought to have had, and that such an error was simply an oversight of the gods.

"President Rufus," Forbes announced with some gravitas, "I would like you to meet Mr. Henry Ingham. Henry has travelled all the way from Rocket Town to be here tonight."

Rufus gave no outward sign acknowledging the significance of the name, just smiled his same polite smile as he shook the man's hand.

"A pleasure to meet you Mr. Ingham."

"Please Mr. President, the pleasure is all mine! Such an honour to finally make your acquaintance." Ingham replied breathlessly.

Forbes stood back from the pair, grinning somewhat foolishly as he looked from Rufus to Ingham, observing them like some self-congratulating matchmaker.

"Bernard!" From across the ways Cecily Forbes had turned to call out to her husband, surrounded by a small clique of women. "Bernard could you come help settle a small debate over here? Jane doesn't think you get cockatoles migrating as far east as here but I'm sure I've seen them off the beaches."

"Not quite now dear." Forbes shouted back.

With a small scowl Cecily turned back to her friends, "I must apologise," she said in a voice loud enough to carry over to Forbes and the others, "It appears my husband is too busy attending to _certain_ guests to pay attention to any others!"

"And my wife is too busy being passive-aggressive." Forbes muttered ruefully under his breath, "Apologies gentlemen, looks like duty calls!" he said, smiling towards both Rufus and Henry Ingham before turning and making his way towards Cecily.

With a small amused grin Rufus turned back to address Ingham.

"So how is Rocket Town these days?" he asked in an offhanded manner, "You know I was planning on making a visit up there during my time on the West Continent."

"_Really? _Well if you are in the area please feel free to stop by my little humble abode. It would be an honour!"

Elena resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the man's fawning attitude towards the President, apparently everything Rufus did could be construed as an honour in Ingham's eyes. If anything she thought it wasn't very helpful for Rufus' already oversized ego.

"Thank you, that is most kind of you," Rufus answered, "I hear the WRO are building an airship fleet out there, quite an impressive one if the rumours are to be believed."

"Ugh, don't talk to me about those metal monstrosities!" Ingham answered with a grimace, "You know you can see the air craft hangers from my land!"

"Oh?" Rufus responded with polite interest.

"Yes and a right blot on the landscape they are as well! Ruins the whole panorama. And the noise! I've tried asking the individual in charge to move them somewhere more appropriate but... well the man was downright rude! Such foul language I never heard before, and in front of my wife and daughter too! Well, there's just no reasoning with _that _kind of person is there?"

"With what kind of person papa?" To Ingham's left a young woman suddenly appeared, her eyes flicking briefly between him and Rufus.

"Ah, there you are Gabriella," Ingham said, turning to acknowledge the new arrival, "Why, I was just telling President Shinra about that obnoxious pilot over in Rocket Town."

"Oh papa, don't tell me you're boring the President with stories of your petit squabbles with the neighbours!" Gabriella berated in an exasperated voice.

"I was simply answering one of the President's questions Gabriella." Ingham whined defensively.

"Hmm, well," his daughter conceded, "mama is looking for you."

"Oh? Can't you tell her I'm busy?"

"Tell her yourself, I'm merely delivering the message." Gabriella answered back primly, lifting her nose up into the air.

Ingham grumbled to himself before turning back towards Rufus, "Would you excuse me a minute Mr. President? I shouldn't be too long." he said reluctantly before turning away and shuffling off into the crowd.

Having seen her father off Gabriella Ingham turned to address Rufus directly.

"I must apologise Mr. President," she said, a soft smile playing across her lips, "I am afraid we must come across as a little... uncouth, this side of the ocean."

"Not at all," Rufus answered, smiling gently back in return, "I have a great fondness for the West Continent and its society; I spent a good deal of time there during my Vice-Presidency."

Elena could only stare in admiration at the vision before her. The woman was tall, coming up only a few inches shorter than Rufus, holding her figure with the grace and poise of one who had grown up knowing herself to be beautiful. There wasn't a scrap of awkwardness or fluster about her. Dressed in a fine, expensive looking purple gown, dark ringlets piled on top of her head, she looked like some noble Cetran bust.

"You are too kind President Shinra." Gabriella answered, her voice light and melodic.

"Please, I prefer not to be addressed by that title- far too formal. Call me Rufus."

Gabriella smiled at the request as if it were a personal concession from Rufus made for her alone.

"Of course, Rufus... I understand that my family has you to thank for our presence here tonight."

"Me?" Rufus answered, "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean." Though professing ignorance there was a knowing edge to his voice and countenance that spurred Gabriella on.

"Forgive me," she replied, a teasing conspiratorial note present in her words, "I was under the impression Mr. Forbes' invitation was offered under the influence of some esteemed gentleman. I do not know who that person is... but if I did I would thank him for his kind generosity." She smiled demurely, dark almond-shaped eyes looking up at Rufus through heavy, thick lashes. For his part Rufus gave the briefest smile of acknowledgement, an almost imperceptible flicker but one Gabriella caught nonetheless and returned back several fold.

The conversation pausing, Gabriella next shifted her gaze from Rufus to Elena, eyes travelling up and down as if inspecting her.

"Rufus," she chided, apparently already quite comfortable with this informal mode of address, "are you not going to introduce me to your companion?"

Elena cast her eyes to the ground, feeling the heat build in her cheeks. "Oh yes, of course." Rufus answered calmly, "Gabriella this is Elena. Elena, Gabriella."

Gabriella inclined her swan-like neck, holding out her hand.

"Charmed."

Elena took the dainty hand and shook it gently, smiling self-consciously in response.

"And how do you know the President?"

"Elena is an employee of mine." Rufus answered on her behalf. "She works in the Department of General Affairs."

Gabriella looked at him uncomprehendingly.

"She's a Turk!"

"A Turk?!", Gabriella's face morphed from one of surprise to one of happy amusement. "How delightful! And a female, most unusual!"

"It's not that unusual ma'am" Elena murmured quietly.

"Now my dear, do not put yourself down, I'm sure you must have worked hard to get where you are tonight. Rufus," Gabriella turned again to face him, a mischievous glint in her eye "do you make a habit of dressing up all your employees or just the pretty ones?"

"Hmphh," Rufus smiled wryly in response, "well I could hardly show up here on my own now could I?"

"Oh you poor thing," Gabriella answered in mock sympathy, "have no fear of that from now on. One thing we Westerners pride ourselves on is our hospitality. Now then," she continued, smiling conspiratorially as she boldly slipped her arm into Rufus', "let us see where papa has got himself to." Hesitating only a moment, Rufus gave her an accommodating smile before allowing himself to be led away towards a group of party goers on the other side of the garden, leaving Elena standing alone.

Unsure of whether to follow or not Elena swayed indecisively on the spot as the couple vanished into the crowd. Despite herself she smiled softly, she'd been afraid she might forget herself this evening. Gabriella's intervention was timely if nothing else in its reminder to her as to how things were... and should be... and would be.

***

Elena wandered aimlessly around the party, trying her best to fight her growing sense of despondency. It felt like an eternity since Rufus had deserted her so callously in favour of his business pursuits, though in truth it had only been around an hour. She had spent some of the time hanging around the outskirts of various groups of people, occasionally even being engaged in conversation by those guests who recognised her from her previous place at Rufus' side. Still, without the President they soon seemed to bore of her presence and the conversation would inevitably drift off.

Now Elena chose to simply hang around the edges of the party, merging into the background as much as she could- the same role she had already envisioned for herself when she thought she would be simply playing the role of a Turk. Having finished her one glass of wine some time ago she now held the empty glass in her hand, twirling it in a nervous gesture but unwilling to relinquish it. Occasionally she had searched the crowd for Rufus, quietly hoping that he might come to claim her back. It was with a possibly misplaced sense of pride that she decided not to approach him herself, he had been the one who left so he should be the one to return! Still, whenever she did catch sight of Rufus he always appeared too engaged with Ingham or Gabriella, or some other businessman to miss her presence. He seemed to be doing fine without her.

"..Such a shame, so young and full of promise."

Glancing across surreptitiously Elena saw a small group of men and women chatting away, without really meaning to she found herself eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Hmmm, some would say the pretty boy of Shin-Ra had it coming, revenge of the planet and all that!" One of the gentlemen responded drily.

"Oh, how can you be so harsh?" The first woman retorted.

"Don't see what's harsh in it at all, just telling it as I see it."

"Quite right too." Backed his friend.

"Still, I wouldn't feel so sorry for Rufus Shinra just yet." The first man continued, "Why in these turbulent times Shin-Ra Inc still seems a safer bet than most."

"True, true. Even with the damage from the WEAPON attack I think it would still be fair to call him something of a catch. If nothing else than for the money!"

A light ripple of laughter passed within the group.

"With that in mind I spotted Ingham's daughter fawning over him earlier." The first man continued, "Now _there_ would be a match!"

"Did they arrive together?"

Turning away not wishing to hear more Elena found herself confronted with the very topic she was attempting to avoid- there only a short ways off was Rufus, deep in conversation with Henry Ingham, Gabriella standing attentively at his side. Twisting again Elena walked off a few steps in the opposite direction. Looking around her for some other place to blend into she unwittingly caught the eye of her host, Bernard Forbes, who, with a larger than life smile started to make his way over.

"Hello my dear," Forbes said amicably upon arrival, "you look a little lonely. Has Rufus managed to go and get himself lost again?"

"Oh no Mr. Forbes," Elena answered with a smile, "the President is just over there, talking with Mr. Ingham."

"Bernard my dear, call me Bernard" Forbes peered over in the direction Elena indicated.

"Oh yes, there he is." he murmured with a slight frown. "Well, what's say we reunite the two of you eh? Rufus will probably be wondering where you got to."

"Oh no Mr. Forbes," Elena parroted again, resisting his attempts to take her arm, "it's okay really. I wouldn't want to interrupt while the President is talking business."

Forbes looked momentarily bewildered at Elena's refusal, before regaining his jovial expression.

"Very well my dear, but I'm afraid that leaves me in something of a quandary." He looked briefly back towards Rufus again before continuing, "As your host it wouldn't do for me to just leave you without any company. Now let me see..."

**Raising his head Forbes made a quick tersely scan of the near vicinity. "Ah!" he exclaimed, his eyes settling on a lone man a short ways off, perusing the hors d'œuvres. "Bryce!" he called out waving the other man over. Looking up at the sound of his name, the man furrowed his brows in confusion as he made his way towards Forbes and Elena. Elena could only look on in dismay, powerless to stop this association being forced upon her. ** "**Bryce," Forbes repeated once the other man had joined them, "I would like you to meet Elena. Elena works in the Shin-Ra Corporation, Bryce here heads a weapons manufacturing business over by Corel. I'm sure you two must have plenty in common!" And with that short introduction Forbes quickly left, leaving the two guests to stare awkwardly at each other.**

"So... you work for Rufus then?" the man asked after a slight hesitation.

"Yes," Elena confirmed stiffly. As far as she could tell Bryce appeared to be in his late-thirties, his features prominent if not altogether displeasing. His nose in particular was sharply angled, given him the appearance of an eagle or some other bird of prey.

Bryce nodded at her one word answer, "Quite a remarkable man your boss." He offered the comment in a guarded voice, as if assessing Elena's reaction.

"Hmm," she responded without conviction. Unable to resist sneaking a glance towards the man in question she saw Rufus apparently smiling at some comment of Gabriella's.

"He's really taken everyone quite by surprise." Bryce continued, "After meteor most of us thought that was the end of the Shin-Ra Corporation. Still your boss managed to claw back _something _from the wreckage. Of course it'll never be close to what it was before, but still-"

"Why not?" Elena queried, a little taken aback by the man's abrupt dismissal of Rufus' efforts.

"Well..." he answered, somewhat on the defensive, "I don't see how it could be really. Mako energy is dead in the water, you'd have to find an entirely new source of trade. And besides, this World Regenesis Organisation looks set to be the new lead player, it's growing at an almost exponential rate- I should know, I'm involved in its artillery supplies." This last statement was proffered with a slightly boastful delivery.

Elena paused, "I don't see why the development of the WRO should stop Shin-Ra also rebuilding."

Bryce laughed amusedly at her reply, "You obviously don't know your boss all that well. Do you think Shinra is someone who likes to _share_? Shin-Ra Inc didn't get to where it was by tolerating healthy competition y'know! What makes you think Rufus would be willing to put up with it this time around?"

"People change" Elena answered quietly. Without really meaning to she found herself looking back once more towards Rufus, only to find him once again too immersed in conversation to notice her.

"Hmmm," Bryce answered, obviously a little irritated by the way this conversation was panning out. Shifting his weight he attempted a different approach, "so what do you do at Shin-Ra?"

It took a moment for Elena to slide her gaze back towards him, blinking as she tried to register the question. "I... work in defence" she answered hesitantly.

"Ah!" Bryce stated, his countenance brightening, "Now that _is _interesting. I'm sure we must have lots to talk about on that subject! Tell me, how is the company set for weapons provisions these days? Given that you're not developing your own anymore.... or are you?" he asked, the thought apparently unnerving him a little.

Elena shook her head, unsure about how much she should really be divulging to this man, "The Company has no plans for re-instigating the weapons division... just yet." She smiled to herself, she was starting to sound almost like Tseng or Rufus, a true Shin-Ra ambassador indeed.

Bryce hiked an eyebrow inquisitively, "What? You mean no plans to rebuild Proud Clod? No new Sister Rays in the pipeline?"

Despite herself Elena couldn't prevent a slight smile at the mention of the infamous cannon. Picking up on her amusement Bryce pressed on with the subject-

"Well I must say that is a pity," he said with a grin, "y'know, when it comes to over-extravagant, completely ineffective weapons design you can't do much better than the Sister Ray!"

"Why do you say that?" Elena asked, fighting to keep her face neutral.

"Well, the whole thing was completely immovable for starters; took about an hour to shift its angle of fire. How by Ifrit's beard are you supposed to defend a city with _that_? Why, the only way it could hit a target would be if the thing stood directly in front of it! Thankfully that idiot of a WEAPON happened to do just that, otherwise there wouldn't be much left of Junon these days."

Elena giggled out loud, half-wishing Rufus could be there to hear yet another derisory comment directed at his beloved Sister Ray. Stealing another glance in the President's direction she was shocked to see his blue eyes looking back at her! It was only for the most fleeting of moments, his gaze drifting back over to Ingham almost instantly, but it had been real enough. Elena turned away, a little flustered at the experience. Had her laughter drawn his attention across the distance or was Rufus paying more attention to her movements than she realised?

Still away with her own thoughts it took Elena a few moments to become aware of Bryce staring at her expectantly. Realising she had been asked a question she tried replaying the last few seconds in her head, her only recollection however being the split-second glance of a pair of blue eyes.

"..Sorry, what?" she was eventually forced to ask with some embarrassment.

"I asked if you would care for another drink." Bryce answered with a smile, gesturing towards the empty wine glass in Elena's hand.

Elena looked down and hesitated before offering him her glass. "Thank you, yes," she answered, secretly glad of the chance to escape having to talk more with this man. As Bryce disappeared into the crowd Elena let out a sigh and allowed her eyes to scan _casually _around her surroundings. It was with a little perplexed frown that she noted that Rufus was no longer in conversation with the Inghams. In fact, she could see neither him nor Gabriella from where she was standing. Trying not to think too much into it Elena gave up her search and focused instead on the activity in the centre of the party. The dancing was going on in earnest now with several couples weaving and twirling their way across the floor. Absently Elena wondered if this was where Rufus and Gabriella had ended up but she couldn't make out any white or purple in amongst the dancers.

Walking closer Elena stopped at the edge of the dance floor; the music was playing some kind of waltz, in her head she found herself counting in time with the tempo, _'one, two, three, one, two, three-'. _Despite her prowess at the martial arts Elena had never considered herself much of a dancer, though she suspected this had more to do with her self-confidence than with her sense of rhythm or poise. Still, even with her untrained eye Elena did not think that many of the dancers could claim to be much better than her; some were stiff and awkward in their movements, shuffling in an almost automated fashion across the dance floor, other couples were just plain drunk by the looks of things, giggling and stumbling their way through the song.

Elena shifted her weight from one foot to the other, wincing slightly in the process. Hours of standing in such unnatural footwear were starting to take their toll and the shoes were starting to pinch awfully. Bored and alone she began to wish herself away from this party, maybe even away from this assignment altogether. With a pang of homesickness she thought of Reno and Rude, probably ensconced in a bar somewhere at that very moment, and how much she would like to join them...

"How goes it Elena?" she jumped at the soft words being crooned into her ear. Turning to face her addresser Elena found herself face-to-face with Rufus, drink in hand, smiling down at her. How had he crept up behind her like that without her noticing?! Trying to appear unflustered Elena looked away and stared back out at the dance scene in front of her.

"Very well thank you sir." She was painfully aware of how close Rufus was standing to her, close enough to be able to whisper greetings into her ear.

"Enjoying the party?"

"Yes," she lied flatly.

Rufus smiled but showed no inclination to question her further, nor indeed to apologise for his prolonged absence. Instead the two of them stood watching the dancers for a few moments. Trying to appear aloof and untroubled by being left alone for so long Elena kept up her dignified silence as long as she could. Still, with the seconds ticking by she began to feel the gap in the conversation most keenly. Unable to bear it much longer she caved and spoke up awkwardly-

"How are things going with Mr. Ingham, sir?"

Rufus shrugged noncommittally, "Well as could be expected" he answered, not taking his eyes off the dancers in front of him, "I'd like to see the scope of the land out by Rocket Town myself before starting up any serious negotiations."

Elena nodded, "...and Gabriella?" She kicked herself mentally even as the words escaped her mouth.

"Hmmm?" Rufus asked with the same nonchalant air.

"... Is she not with you?"

Taking his eyes off the dancing Rufus looked across the rest of the revellers slowly, as if only just becoming aware of the other woman's absence. "Nooo," he conceded finally, "think she's in the powder room, doing whatever it is that you women take so long doing in there. I'm sure she'll be back shortly."

Elena managed a half-smile at his prediction before looking away again. Once more silence filled the space between them while the rest of the party chattered and swirled around them. Turning back towards the dance floor Rufus sipped from his drink-

"I saw you talking to Bryce earlier." He murmured with a conspiratorial air. Elena's shoulders tensed slightly, so he _had _noticed.

"Hmm-mmm" she replied, again trying to appear calm in the face of such close proximity.

"The two of you looked to be getting on well." Though she had her back to him Elena was sure that if she turned around she would see one of the patent Rufus smirks currently gracing his face, his voice was thick with it. Still, why should he care? Without knowing quite why Elena felt the tips of her ears start to burn, surely the President couldn't be jealous?!

"You know," he continued after a pause, "Bryce is the co-chairman of one of the largest weapons consortiums this side of Junon."

"Yes," she murmured, "he mentioned something to that effect."

"He would make a potentially very useful ally for the corporation."

Elena's eyes suddenly widened with dawning comprehension. Twisting sharply around to face him she stared up at Rufus.

"And what has that got to do with me sir?" She asked, a slight warning note in her voice.

"Nothing, nothing at all." Rufus beamed back, tilting his glass so that the ice in it clinked, "I'm just merely stating the facts."

"Are-, are you trying to pimp me out sir?!"

"What?! Never! Why I would never even _consider _such bare-faced exploitation of my employees!" Rufus threw up his hand in protest, a scandalised look on his face. Fixing him with a suspicious glare Elena eventually looked away with a half-hearted "humph", crossing her arms in front of her. A moment of silence passed between them before Rufus murmured with a light nonchalant air-

"Why, do you think you migh-?"

"NO!"

"Never-even-con-si-der!" he reiterated, patting Elena on the shoulder for emphasis.

Still only half-convinced Rufus was joking Elena kept up a haughty silence.

"Ah, speak of the devil!"

Elena looked up, expecting to see Bryce coming towards them. Turning to follow Rufus' gaze she was surprised, and a little crestfallen, to see Gabriella approaching instead.

"There you are Rufus," the other woman spoke up brightly as she stepped towards them, "...I hope I'm not interrupting." She tacked on, glancing over at Elena.

"No, not at all," Rufus answered, adopting a similar upbeat tone, "Elena and I were just admiring the dancing."

Gabriella smiled, and turned to look at the waltzing couples. "Do you dance Rufus?" She asked, a suggestive hint to her question.

Rufus shook his head lightly, "Maybe in another lifetime, I can't say that I've tried recently, at least not since this-" he tapped his cane indicatively.

"Oh come now, it's not the kind of thing you forget," retorted Gabriella playfully, "I'm sure you'd still make a fine dancer."

Rufus gave her an appreciative smile, while Elena straightened her shoulders, preparing herself for another social desertion. Just at that moment however Bryce reappeared, making his way cautiously through the crowd while balancing two drinks in his hands. Upon reaching them he stopped, blinking as he took in the new arrivals, focusing particularly on the President. Breaking out into a welcoming smile he turned hurriedly towards Elena, thrusting a glass in her direction.

"Here you go, it was red wine wasn't it?" Without waiting for an answer he turned to face the other gentleman in the party, "Hullo Shinra, good to see you!"

"Bryce, how are you?" Rufus answered, nodding congenially, "How's the weapon dealing going? Still selling guns to the enemy?"

"Now now Rufus," Bryce answered, a little frown of irritation crossing his features, "I told you before, I don't know how that shipment ended up in Wutai, must have been smuggled across."

"Water under the bridge Bryce, _that _war finished a long time ago. So who do you supply to these days?"

"Hmm, got a nice little exchange going with the WRO actually, mostly light artillery but we're in talks over some bigger guns."

"You know I never understood why an organisation that claims to be about regenesis feels the need to arm itself with guns." Gabriella stepped in, her voice clear and confident.

"Maybe they think they need to protect the planet as well as rebuild it." Suggested Rufus.

"Protect it? From whom?"

"Well... me probably." Rufus answered, an ironic smile gracing his face.

"You?!" Gabriella exclaimed, her eyebrows arching indignantly, "Why if anything you should be _running_ the WRO. You certainly have more experience than that glorified architect currently heading it!"

Rufus sniffed noncommittally, "What Tuesti lacks in experience he more than compensates for by his keenly developed sense of moral superiority."

Gabriella laughed scornfully, "And when did morality become good business practice?"

"Ouch!" Bryce said laughingly, "better watch it with this one Rufus, seems a right little firecracker!"

Gabriella turned her head and smiled back at him proudly.

"And what about you Elena?" Bryce said, turning to the quiet member of the group, "do you think Rufus would do a better job of running the WRO?"

Elena looked up at him in surprise before glancing over at Rufus, who in turn raised his brows expectantly, a playful smile crossing his features. Neither Bryce nor Gabriella knew of course the extent to which Rufus was already involved with the creation of the organisation. If he chose to he could wield significant power over it simply by means of his funding. But still, Elena was not so naive as to recognise the discomfort some people might feel at the prospect of Shin-Ra, the company whose mako-plants brought the planet to the brink, now offering themselves up as the planet's saviours. There was a reason Rufus kept his name separate from the WRO.

Realising the others were still waiting on an answer Elena bowed her head and shook it softly, "It's not really my place to say." She said quietly, unwilling to express her true opinion. Gabriella hummed, almost in agreement, before looking away with a bored expression. Turning back she refocused her attention once again on Rufus.

"Enough business talk please, it's all we've been doing all night!"

"Well, what do you suggest we do instead?" Rufus responded, smiling at her bravado.

"Get out of this party for starters; it really is the most dullest thing! Why, I swear we must be the only ones under _fifty_ in the whole place!" Gabriella answered, rolling her eyes derisively across the scene by way of emphasis.

"Hmm, and go where?" Rufus asked sceptically.

"Well I don't know," Gabriella laughed, her voice raising in a slightly exasperated flutter, "there must be _some _places worth going to in this town, really Rufus where is your sense of adventure?"

Rufus smiled before shifting his gaze towards Elena, "What do you think Elena? Know any places that might fit the bill?"

Gabriella turned, half-surprised and half-putout at the sudden inclusion of the other female, "Why, would you like to come too my dear?" she asked.

"Afraid I got into the most frightful trouble with Elena last time I wandered off without her." Rufus said teasingly, a mischievous light in his eyes, "I was made to promise not to do it again."

Gabriella looked at him with a sympathetic grimace, as if in empathy at being lumbered with such a tiresome, clingy individual.

Elena looked away, trying to pretend she hadn't noticed; sighing inwardly she wondered if she was ever going to get to go home and take off these damn heels? While she was musing this however two things happened in rapid succession around the immediate vicinity that quickly put an end to such thoughts. In front of her Rufus turned to address her, his lips parting to form words though whether it was to be an invitation or a dismissal Elena never got to find out, for behind her an overly exuberant, overly inebriated couple chose that exact moment to practice a poorly planned twirl on the dance floor. Even when fully focused Elena was not very well balanced in high heels, thus when the female dancer rammed into her back she was left almost completely defenceless. With a small yelp of surprise she stumbled forward throwing her arms out in a desperate attempt to find something to break her fall. The only obstacle in front of her though was the President himself and it was his chest that Elena collided heavily with.

If Elena thought she had been in close proximity to Rufus during their conversation earlier it was nothing compared to the lack of distance between them now. Freezing after the initial impact, she slowly cracked open her eyes to find herself focusing on part of a collar and necktie, her nose and mouth filled with the fabric of his clothes and the warmth of his body. Eyes widening it took a few moments for Elena to regain control of her reeling, spiralling thoughts. As she did she felt the breath catch in her throat as one thought, one sensation in particular began to prevail, increasing in certainty until it was all she was aware of. By the stiffening of the President's body against her she could tell he felt it too.

The music and chatter of the party appeared to drain away from Elena's hearing as she stood statue-like, not daring to move. Through the haze only one thought reverberated through her mind-

'_Oh Gaia, please no!'_

Three second's eternity passed before Rufus' hands slowly moved to her shoulders and, with a light but firm pressure, pushed her away until she was back in a vertical standing position.

Gabriella, who had been watching the entire scene with growing incredulity, suddenly gave a short gasp as the two of them parted, her hand flying to her mouth. Her eyes widened with surprise before wrinkling with mirth as she started to laugh, a pretty bell-like noise.

"Oh Rufus!" she gasped between giggles, "your coat!"

Elena looked down, her eyes confirming her worst fears. Just below the left breast-pocket of Rufus' jacket a dark red stain was slowly blossoming across the otherwise pure white fabric. With stricken features Elena glanced at the offending weapon in her hand- the full glass of red wine that Bryce had given her minutes earlier.

With an almost masochistic curiosity Elena couldn't help but look up to gauge the President's reaction to such a defilement of his trademark suit. Mouth slightly agape, Rufus couldn't look more shocked than if he'd been shot and the red liquid marring his jacket was his own blood. Moving slowly, almost in a dream state, he lifted his hand towards the stain as if to confirm its existence in his head.

"Noo, don't touch it- you'll make it worse!" Cecily Forbes lunged forward out of the crowd, her face pale and frenzied at the calamity that had befallen one of her guests. Grabbing Rufus' arm she started dragging him towards the house. "Come with me to the kitchen quickly! Oh where has Bernard got himself to? Bernard? BERNARD!"

As if cued by Cecily several other guests, mostly women, suddenly snapped into action; rushing forward in an excited chatter, offering up a rapid fire mix of condolences and advice as they herded Rufus towards the kitchen. Elena following pale faced behind.

Once in the kitchen a still slightly stunned Rufus put up no resistance as his hostess pulled the jacket off of his back. Elena attempted to draw closer, ringing her hands frantically with guilt, only to be blocked by another guest stepping in front of her. Around them a couple of waiters looked on, perplexed at the sudden invasion of their territory by the group of party-goers.

"Hey-ho, here I am." Forbes sung out cheerfully as he strolled into the scene, "What seems to be the fracas?" He asked, taking in Rufus in just shirt and waistcoat, surrounded by half a dozen anxious females. Extending his head he looked over at his wife bent over the sink as she ran the stained jacket under the tap.

"Oh, bad luck my boy." He tutted, shaking his head in sympathy. "You know this exact same thing happened to a friend of mine at a dinner party once. If memory serves me right we just covered him in baking soda and let the whole thing dry out, stain lifted right off!"

"Yes my dear," Cecily answered exasperatedly, not looking up from her task, "that would all be very useful if we actually HAD some baking soda to hand."

"What? You mean we don't? I could have sworn I saw a box of the stuff around the time of the last meteor fall. Don't tell me we've thrown it away!" Muttering to himself Forbes turned around and started opening cupboards seemingly at random.

"I heard that if you pour white wine over the stain it's supposed to help." Elena offered meekly.

"Yes thank you," Rufus clipped in a slightly sarcastic voice, "I think my jacket has had enough wine poured over it for one evening."

Biting her lip Elena looked down and silently prayed for the ground to swallow her up then and there.

"What about salt, isn't salt meant to work?" Gabriella suggested.

"Yes that's right" Cecily said, looking up excitedly, "salt should draw it out!"

"Or milk." Piped in another woman.

"Milk?!"

"Damn it Cee, has that maid been reorganising the cupboards again?"

"Bernard, forget about the blasted baking soda and fetch me the salt!"

***

Half an hour and several suggested 'cures' later the stain upon the jacket had succeeded in being reduced dramatically, leaving a large damp area across the left side. To a critical eye such as Rufus' however a faint bluish ring could still be discerned if peered at closely enough in amongst the light pinstripe of the fabric. Unable to see a way of recovering the evening from that point, and with Elena looking every inch the wretched, penitent sinner, Rufus had decided to call it a night and return home. Leaving with promises to meet up with both Forbes and Ingham before the weekend was out.

To this end both he and Elena were now making their slow way back to the villa, the jacket in question folded across his arm as if Rufus could not bring himself to put it on whilst the stain still remained.

"I'm so sorry about your coat sir, really I am."

"Elena will you stop apologising already, it got old after the twentieth time."

"Sorry sir."

"Elena!"

"....."

They walked on a little ways without speaking. To Elena's ears the silence was excruciating, thick with unspoken reproaches. Still, unable to think of anything to say that was not yet another declaration of remorse she kept her mouth shut and concentrated on walking.

Her heels by now had become a minor form of torture, each step bringing a sharp burning sensation to the balls of her feet, like a thousand needles pressing against the skin. Each time she lifted a foot brought with it an odd sensation of momentary relief, tinged with the knowledge that at the next step she would have to bring the foot back down again, repeating the agony again and again.

She dimly recalled some fairytale from her childhood; about a princess who, for some reason Elena couldn't recall, was unable to speak and whose every step felt like walking on broken glass. Though the description resonated with Elena's current situation she couldn't say she felt very much like a princess, instead she felt tired and shamed and oddly bitter- a curious little knot of some other emotion that she could only vaguely describe as disappointment but which she was too exhausted to attempt to unravel tonight.

Without fully knowing why, Elena suddenly found herself fighting the urge to cry. Bowing her head she hugged her arms to her chest, rubbing her hands ineffectively up and down over the gooseflesh that had sprung up across her arms, whilst willing the tears that had welled up in her eyes to remain unshed. A second later she was startled out of her melancholy by a sudden weight descending on her shoulders. Looking up she quickly ascertained the source of the sensation-

"Oh please sir, don't. I'm fine!" she bleated.

Rufus ignored her protests and continued to adjust the coat, so that its heavy fabric settled across her slender shoulders.

"I must apologise," he commented in a low voice, "I'm afraid it's a little damp."

Shamed into another silence, she meekly accepted the offering, tugging the lapels of the coat closer together, building upon its insulating properties. And so they continued their quiet progress towards the villa.

The moment they stepped inside Elena kicked off the offending footwear, paying no attention as to where they landed, sighing with relief as her burning feet settled upon the cooling stone floor. Padding gingerly forward she half-collapsed onto a waiting couch, tucking her legs up underneath her into an almost foetal position, her exhaustion stripping her of any kind of formality. Rufus in turn settled down into a nearby chair, relaxing into it with a soft sigh.

A minute or so passed in which neither spoke, just sat there quietly under a shared tiredness, moonlight illuminating the room.

"... I'm sorry I ruined your party sir." Elena eventually murmured from her position on the couch.

"You didn't ruin anything Elena." Rufus said with a light sigh.

Once again silence filled the space between them. Feeling her eyes grow incredibly heavy Elena gave in and closed them, just for a minute, then she would face the painful walk back to her room... just a minute...

From his seated position, chin propped up by his elbow, Rufus contemplated the figure before him. Not that there was much of her to see, almost her entire frame was hidden under the coverings of his coat. Knees folded in order to fit within the couch, only her pale face was visible, peeping out with closed eyes from under a muss of blonde hair.

He continued to sit there, watching Elena in stillness for some time as his mind ran through the events of the night. As far as Ingham was concerned Rufus couldn't have hoped for a better target- the man was snobbish to an extreme, he would most likely jump at the merest whiff of a business association with the President of the great and mighty Shin-Ra Company. Brokering a deal would be easy, too easy...

..Once great and mighty at least...

..Yet, if the deal were to go through the company could well be the dominant force in charge of oil revenues in the entire West Continent, a definite step towards rebuilding the empire!

The WRO would no doubt kick up a fuss, especially if their air fleet base was as close as Ingham made out...

She ruined his jacket!

.. Well, Reeve would just have to live with it. After all he can't expect a monopoly on everything. As Rufus had reiterated to himself time and time again wallowing in guilt and self-pity was no way to continue, it was time to cast off this hair-shirt. The company needed to rebuild, if only to provide the revenue with which to set things right.

Truthfully he ought to reprimand her. Any other course of action would be considered weak on his part... Still, he had a horrible feeling that any disciplinary action would end in tears of contrition. The last thing he wanted was to have to deal with a hysterical female. Besides which he'd only just succeeded in putting a stopper on her incessant apologising, there was no way he was going to risk releasing _that_ genie again!

... He should have insisted on keeping Rude as his bodyguard, life would've been so much easier.

Rufus stopped, frowning slightly as he attempted to refocus his thoughts.

... Gabriella was an unexpected addition to the mix. He was still undecided about how best to play that one.

Still, there could be worse associations.

.. She had been pretty, almost beautiful at the start of the evening. By the end of the night though she had become down beaten and miserable. With a smattering of guilt Rufus wondered how much he was to blame.

... He'd forgotten how much he disliked Bryce. Snivelling hawk-faced little...

Damn it, why was he still staring at her?!!

With an angry frown Rufus tore his eyes sharply away from the scene in front of him, choosing instead to focus upon one of the dark recesses of the room. Still, after the passage of a few seconds his gaze inevitably began to drift back to the sleeping form on the couch. Frown intensifying into something akin to agitation his hand moved up to cover his mouth. His thoughts within his tired mind by now were losing all semblance of structure, degrading instead to a flux of sensations- mostly irritation interspersed with bewilderment, as if faced with an enigma he couldn't quite solve. At some point during this time an answer may have appeared somewhere in amongst his confusion but if it did he chose to ignore it, at least for the time being.

Rising sharply to his feet Rufus covered the two or three paces until he was standing above Elena, looking down at her. Breath coming slow and steady through his nose he continued to study her for a couple more seconds. Then, stepping quietly away, he walked slowly out of the room leaving her asleep under his coat.

_AU note: 10,000 words, that's as long as my last dissertation! I'm gonna go collapse now..._


	13. Chapter 13

_AU note: Apologies again for another late chapter. Here at my university Spring has well and truly sprung- the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, and the board of examiners has woken from its hibernation, shaken the cobwebs from its hair and demanded its annual pound of progress reports! So that's basically what I've been doing for the past few weeks :(_

Elena cracked one eye open, an action impeded somewhat by the gummy mess of mascara that had formed a seal across her eyelid. Raising her head she blinked a few times as she gazed around the day lit surroundings. There were no momentary confusion or disorientation, she knew exactly where she was, although the presence of the white coat draped across her body surprised her for a second before recollection hit home. Standing up she took a cautious step forward, the soles of her feet still tender and red from their ordeal in high heels the night before. Her dress had not taken well to being slept in and was now reduced to a green wrinkled mass, its elegance lost amongst a network of creases. Taking up the coat Elena folded it carefully, pausing to inspect the left breast pocket, holding the fabric up close to her bleary eyes. Brushing away a few dried on salt crystals she gave an audible sigh of relief- the stain appeared to have vanished.

Laying the folded coat gently down on the arm of the chair she turned and walked a few steps across the room. Pausing she turned again, this time scanning the area, a light frown across her face. Moving forward she dropped rather gracelessly down on all fours peering under furniture. Eventually spotting what she was looking for she extended an arm under a chair, extricating one shoe. An additional search quickly located its partner hiding behind a curtain.

Feeling very self-conscious Elena stepped warily through the corridors of the villa all the while dreading a sudden encounter with the President. It was with a small sigh of relief that she made it to the bathroom without seeing head nor hair of Rufus, facing him in her current appearance was something she would really prefer not to go through right now. Locking the door with a satisfying click Elena paused before making her way to the cabinet mirror and bravely taking a look. The face that stared back had the pale exhausted appearance of one who hadn't slept at all well the night before. To top it all off dark smears of mascara ringed her eyes adding to her ghoulish appearance. With a small grimace Elena backed away from the looking glass before slowly peeling the wrinkled dress from her body. Stepping into the shower she turned the water on, turning up the temperature until it was almost scalding hot before stepping underneath it. The heat against her skin had an almost purifying quality to it, washing away all the remnants of the previous night, the last greasy residues of makeup, the acidic tang of alcohol, even the faint scent of him that had managed to transfer onto her from sleeping in his coat, all of it, the whole image she had tried so unsuccessfully to convey, all was washed away down the plughole.

Pulling on her Turk's uniform Elena could not help but smile at the familiarity of the clothing and the feeling of calm that came with them. This was her- a Turk, a loyal employee to the company, it was silly of her to allow herself to be persuaded to try to act like something else. The attempt had been disastrous and one she would not be trying again.

Feeling braver now that she was back in her old persona Elena decided to venture off in search of her employer, along with any chastisement or ridicule that was almost certain to follow. She found him oddly enough within the garden of the villa, odd because Rufus had not ventured out there once during their entire stay at Costa del Sol so far, choosing instead to work on business indoors. For Elena's part his location was also slightly alarming in that it left him so open and exposed. While part of her was happy to see him doing something other than work for once another part wished he had waited for her to join him before venturing outside.

Upon hearing her approach Rufus turned to face her, his shirt and tie exchanged for the black polo neck he sometimes wore. Without the addition of his jacket the President's appearance was almost casual. Elena had been expecting to be met with one of the classic Rufus smirks, replaying her humiliation from the night before. Instead Rufus' expression was almost solemn as he watched her slightly bashful entrance, contemplating her with his thoughts hidden behind an expressionless mask. Elena stood there in silence feeling her discomfort intensify- was he angry at her for the events of last night? She fidgeted nervously and looked away, focusing her attention instead on the cracked paving stones below. Blinking Rufus seemed to recollect himself, then with a smile he cocked his head and the moment, whatever it had been, passed-

"Good morning Elena." He greeted her with a silky voice.

"Morning sir." Elena mumbled in reply.

"Sleep well?" he asked, his voice tinted with amusement- here was the old, typical Rufus coming through.

Elena blushed, causing the smirk on his face to intensify.

Running a hand through his hair Rufus straightened his stance, a business-like expression taking over his features.

"Right, enough chit chat." He stated as he stepped forward. Elena could only glance up in surprise, 'chit chat'? She'd barely said two words!

"You're to arrange transportation for this afternoon." He began, his words coming out in a no-nonsense rush, "Don't take any of their excuses if they try to fob you off- I _know _there are Shin-Ra helicopters in the region and if they've been doing the job I'm paying them for they should be in good working condition-"

"We're leaving?" Elena asked with surprise, her fuzzy mind racing to catch up.

"Yes indeed." Rufus answered clipperly, striding purposefully into the villa and towards the main living room as he did so. "I see no point in hanging around. Unless you feel you could do with some additional holiday?" This last comment made with a wry hike of an eyebrow towards Elena's direction.

"No sir." She answered as she trotted behind him "Where are we going?"

"Why Rocket Town of course, do try to keep up Elena." Rufus paused at the couch Elena had been using as a bed, picking up the folded coat he held it to his eyes for a short moment before pulling it on without comment.

"We'll also need accommodation." He continued, "I'm not expecting much but see if you can find somewhere half decent. If it's going to be in a public place we'll probably require additional security."

"Yes sir." Elena answered, trying not to take the implication too much to heart.

"And see if you can find out what the status is over in Rocket Town. I'm feeling somewhat out of the loop whilst on this trip and don't particularly want to walk into any unexpected circumstances over there if I can help it. Things are likely to get tricky enough as it is."

"Yes sir."

"Good." Rufus paused before turning around to face Elena again. The same silent stillness that had passed between them in the garden now returned and Elena found herself staring warily at Rufus' somewhat pensive expression.

"Anything else sir?" she ventured.

"Hmmm? No, nothing... not that I can think of for the time being." He answered, looking as if he was about ready to walk away from the conversation, eyes already drifting off to the side.

Elena hesitated, a thought entering her head and making her purse her lips with deliberation. Gaze flicking back towards her Rufus caught the expression and smiled knowingly-

"Ah but wait, I recognise that look," he said languidly, "Elena disapproves. What now? Let's hear it."

Elena paused before raising her head to meet him directly, "Well sir," she began falteringly, "I would have thought... what with everything Mr. Forbes has done for us... Don't you think it would be good manners to say goodbye.... in person that is?"

Rufus wrinkled his nose at the suggestion before looking away with a resigned sigh.

"When did politeness ever matter to a Turk?" he grumbled, more to himself than Elena. For her part Elena just gave a small half smile and said nothing in reply.

"Very well," Rufus sighed with a dismissive wave of the hand, "invite the old man over this afternoon if you must. Though I tell you now you can be the one to entertain him and listen to his ridiculous little stories!"

"Yes sir," Elena responded happily, turning to go with a smile on her face, "I'll make the calls right away."

"You're not to encourage him mind!" Rufus called after her as she trotted deeper into the interior of the building.

***

"_No 'copters available, not at this short notice."_ The bored voice drawled from the other end of the phone.

"What?" Elena answered incredulously, she had already spent a good chunk of the morning pleading and cajoling down the phone in an attempt to speak to someone who would be able to help her, and now she found herself faced with imminent failure, "What do you mean?" she pressed, "There must be!"

"_Sorry luv, not at this short notice." _Elena ground her teeth at the 'luv' address.

"This is for the President himself. It's very important he gets to Rocket Town by this evening."

"_Still can't help ya_." Came the same unimpressed drawl. Elena sucked in her breath sharply- maybe if she put Rufus on the phone he could rattle some respect out of this ignoramus' skull! But wait, no- he had assigned _her _to organise the transport, she wasn't about to give up and go running to him for assistance! She could do this, besides, she had spent enough time around the President by now to have an idea of how he would approach the situation.

"Well why not?" she asked, doing her best to sound righteously indignant, "Where exactly _are _these helicopters?"

"One's in service and another's picking up supplies from Corel." The man answered, his voice growing irritated at being made to explain himself further, _"We did have another but it got recommissioned to Junon- like I said can't help ya."_

"Well... you'll just have to bring back the one from North Corel then."

"_You what? Sorry luv, ain't happening."_ He replied with a dismissive snort.

"Oh no, it will happen!" Elena replied, painfully aware of how high-pitched her voice was growing but seemingly unable to control it. "...That is, if you wanna keep your job it will!"

"_You threatening me?"_

"Absolutely," she snapped, "like I said I'm working on behalf of the President. Anything I say gets the President's full backing!" Oh how she wished that were true...

The man on the other end appeared to hesitate _"Won't make it back here 'til three at the latest, then it'll have to be refuelled.."_

"Well, I suggest you do all those things!" Elena snapped back, sensing triumph.

"_Y'know this is a goddamn inconvenience!"_ the man whined in protest.

"Yeah? Well that's just the President for you!" she retorted, a bitter note to her voice.

Flipping her phone shut Elena sighed, rubbing her forehead with the palm of her hand. Okay, one down- it had taken her the better part of an hour but she had managed it. What was next..?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden chiming sound that resonated through the villa. Looking up in confusion it took Elena a couple of seconds to realise it was the front doorbell. Rufus had made no mention of expecting visitors. Frowning she walked towards the hallway, checking her gun along the way. Reaching the door she stepped forward, peering into the spyhole to see who was calling. With a light sag of the shoulders Elena exhaled in a soft whistle before stepping away to open the door.

"Good morning!" Gabriella said brightly, breezing into the villa with a confident stride. She was clad in a light summer dress, the fabric of which appeared to almost glide around her figure as she stepped gracefully across the threshold. Pausing she turned to look back at Elena, "Ah, back in uniform I see."

"Yes ma'am," Elena mumbled, the confident aura that her uniform had imbibed her with starting to dissipate fast. There was something about this woman that put her instantly on the defensive.

Gabriella gave a small nod of approval, "It suits you." She stated before twisting back around, "Is the President about?"

"In the garden I think."

"Ah wonderful, this way?" Gabriella asked, striding forward without waiting for any answer from Elena.

She had not made it far into the main living space of the villa before she encountered Rufus, stepping in from the garden. Upon seeing the unexpected visitor Rufus frowned momentarily before smoothing his features into a welcoming expression.

"Gabriella," he said walking over with a courteous smile, "a pleasure to see you. How did you get in?"

"Your Turk let me in." Gabriella replied offhand. Rufus gave a small evasive twitch at the throwaway comment though Gabriella was too distracted inspecting her surroundings to notice.

"Ah!" She exclaimed, eyes settling upon Rufus' attire, "You're suit has been put to rights I see, I'm so pleased!"

"Thank you, yes." Rufus replied, looking down at the jacket, "I must thank you once again for your help in the matter."

"Oh not at all" Gabriella returned happily. A silence hung in the air for a few seconds, Rufus appearing to study Gabriella while she smiled slightly uncomfortably back. Cocking his head in the same gesture he had used with Elena Rufus smiled.

"Is that the only reason why you came here this morning Gabriella, to check on the status of my coat?"

Gabriella looked a little put-off by the directness of the question but then brushed her discomfort aside with a short laugh.

"Actually no, how easily you see through me Rufus! No.., my parents are planning a small drinks party this evening before heading back home. I have been sent to ask if you would care to join us?"

Still smiling Rufus shook his head, stepping away from the woman as he did so. "My apologies, I am afraid I must decline. Come this evening I will no longer be in Costa del Sol."

"You're leaving?" Gabriella asked surprised.

"Heading out to Rocket Town."

"So soon?"

"I'm afraid this trip has already overrun by quite some margin. I would prefer to complete it and return home as quickly as possible." Rufus replied, continuing to move slowly away.

"But surely," Gabriella pressed, stepping forward to follow him, "what is one more evening?"

"The flight has already been arranged."

"Well unarrange it," she retorted with a laugh, "you _are _the President after all. Stay one more night and you can fly both myself and my family with you to Rocket Town first thing tomorrow."

Rufus paused, blinking incredulously at the proposition before his mouth curled upwards in amusement. "Let me get this straight," he said in a low, humorous voice, "you are asking me to not only delay my departure for one day, but also to act as escort for your entire family back home?"

"Papa would be awfully pleased." Gabriella answered brightly.

"Perhaps, but what concern would that be of mine?"

"Maybe none," Gabriella conceded with a sly smile, sensing that she had caught Rufus' attention, "but then again, depending on how things go in Rocket Town, you may soon like to keep him in a generous mood. And it is such an easy gesture after all."

"Hmmm" Rufus answered non-committedly.

"Plus, it would please me too." Gabriella said coquettishly.

Hiking an eyebrow Rufus smirked, crossing his arms across his front. "You are to be commended for your audacity Gabriella." he murmured. Gabriella nodded her head by way of acknowledgement, eyes sparkling.

"You should know however," Rufus continued in the same guarded tone "that I rarely change my plans once I have set upon something."

"Well, that would make two of us," she replied without missing a beat, "Something of a stalemate don't you think?"

Rufus observed her, returning her smile with a small, cryptic one of his own. Just at that moment Elena chose to re-enter the room, passing through the doorway with a cautious step and attempting to merge as best she could into the back ground. Noting her entrance Rufus shifted his eyes away from Gabriella, following the Turk's awkward, self-conscious shuffle across the edge of the room.

Turning to see what had distracted Rufus Gabriella's eyes also fell on Elena. Realising the couple were watching her the blonde stopped short, her frame going almost rigid like a rabbit caught in the headlights.

"And of course our good friend Elena is also invited." Gabriella said breezily, smiling condescendingly at the other woman.

"Ma'am?" Elena asked in confusion.

"Just a small get together we're planning this evening, I'm sure we would love to have you come along."

Unsure how to respond Elena glanced quickly towards Rufus, hoping to take her cue from him. He however looked back at her deadpan, betraying no hint of any of the thoughts or inclinations that might be going on in his head.

"Should I invite Mr. Bryce along too?" Gabriella pressed, looking at Elena with a teasing smirk.

"Bryce, what made you think of him?" Rufus spoke up suddenly, a slight frown creasing his features.

"Why, for Elena here of course!" Gabriella responded cheerfully, "didn't you think there was a little spark between the two of them the other night?"

"Oh no ma'am, nothing like that!" Elena piped up instantly, her face morphing into one of shocked mortification.

"Oh come now my dear," pressed Gabriella, "you can't deny he was talking to you for an awful long time, why we both noticed it didn't we Rufus?"

Rufus, who had been watching Elena squirm with a steady fixed eye looked briefly at Gabriella at the mention of his name before turning his gaze back towards Elena.

"Very well," he said after a moment's deliberation, his voice low and ambiguous, "let's have Bryce there too."

"Does that mean you'll come?" Gabriella asked delightedly.

"Yes, it appears you have persuaded me." Rufus answered with a small nod.

"Oh how wonderful! Papa will be so pleased!" Gabriella exclaimed, almost clapping her hands with delight.

Rufus smiled appreciatively at her response, "Come, I'll show you out." He said, motioning towards the door with his arm. Passing with Gabriella on the way to the exit he turned his head towards the rigid form of the Turk by the doorway.

"Cancel the helicopter Elena."

***

Elena privately did not think Mr. Bryce would have much interest in being reunited with her at all come the evening, and her predictions proved quite correct. Now back in her Turk's uniform the gentleman paid her little heed, his interests once again focusing more on Rufus, talking shop at every possible opportunity or generally just showing off in front of the President. Gabriella in turn, despite having previously professed a desire to have Elena at the party, now appeared quite content to leave her guest be. Thus it was with a small sense of relief that Elena was able to step away from the main hub, playing the part of an observer without feeling the need to participate, just a person in uniform, someone doing a job.

One consolation however was that she had indeed been able to say goodbye to Forbes. Though confessing himself to be 'dead on his feet' after hosting the much larger event of the previous night, he had still somehow managed to make his ambling way over to the Inghams' house. Insisting that he couldn't stay too long, needing to return forthwith to check on his wife, ailing with a migraine, he had chatted with each guest in turn before making his way over to where Elena stood a little ways off.

"So I hear from Rufus that you will soon be leaving us." He stated after greeting her, "Such a shame! Next time Rufus comes to Costa del Sol you must be sure to come with him!"

"I don't think that's within my remit to decide sir." Elena replied good-naturedly.

"'Bernard' my dear, 'Bernard'. And what nonsense is this? Why I shall have words with him myself, _insist _he takes you along!"

Elena merely smiled in response.

"Well..." Forbes trailed off thoughtfully, "..in the mean time make sure to keep watch over our good President- though I'm sure I don't need to be telling you how to do your job of course..." he tacked on at the end.

"I wouldn't worry about the President sir. He's quite resourceful enough by himself." Elena answered ruefully, a small smile lifting the corners of her mouth.

"Hmmm, true, true my dear." Forbes conceded, though with a thoughtful look in his eyes. "....Let's not forget though that he is fallible just like the rest of us. The events of the past couple of years have done enough to prove that! Sometimes I worry that the poor boy does not pay enough heed to that fact as he maybe ought to."

Turning to look at Forbes Elena stared at the old man curiously. Before she had a chance to answer however he had broken into a wide grin thus dispelling the moment. With a friendly squeeze of her arm he said one last "Good bye my dear" before taking his leave, separating Elena from the one person in the whole of the Costa del Sol whom she had actually liked at all.

Now though it was late. Only a handful of people remained at the Ingham's villa; Mr and Mrs Ingham themselves, their daughter, Bryce, who showed no inclination to leave anytime soon but continued to chatter away, and a couple of others whose names Elena didn't know. Rufus by contrast had been growing quieter and more reticent as the evening had progressed. Observing the fact Elena wondered if he was at all drained from the night before, yet it was not tiredness but thoughtfulness that appeared to be bothering the President. Even as Gabriella attempted to draw him into conversation Elena could see the tell-tale signs that she had come to recognise in his body language, the one hand raised to cover his mouth, the fingers drumming gently against his seat- Rufus was irritated by something.

Was he in pain again? The question roved around Elena's head with a kind of nervous flutter. He had spoken of discomfort previously, the evening before Forbe's party, but had then gone on to spend most of the night itself walking around conversing with people. Still, it was not pain that was registering on Rufus' features as far as Elena could tell, more a general annoyance, anger at having something not quite his way.

Was it Gabriella? She wondered, maybe a little hopefully. From her place on the sidelines Elena had been able to watch the couple unheeded for quite some time. Whilst doing so she could not help but smile surreptitiously; only a couple of days ago she had been wondering what Rufus' ideal woman might be, and now here she was in the flesh. She was perfect for him, his equal in so many ways! They were both proud to an extreme, both arrogant, both ambitious in their own way. He outranked her in terms of money and power but that was hardly surprising, besides she made up for it by means of her beauty and wit. They would make a great team.

But then again...

On second thoughts she wasn't right for him at all, the complete opposite in fact! She would draw out all the bad in him, all the faults (of which Elena had to admit there were many), encourage the spite, the conceitedness, the bullying side of him until he would become as bloated and vicious as his father before him, a fate Elena knew Rufus would despise above all others.

And it was, she thought, so wrong if that were to happen because despite all evidence to the contrary there were still some aspects to the President that were good. He could be funny, observant, when he put his mind to it he could even be kind, though such acts were often cloaked under a thick cover of sarcasm or apathy. The fact that he could act as benefactor to the WRO, while at the same time belittling its commander and going out of his way to pick fights with him, that itself was a case in point of the bizarre, finely balanced yet oddly contradictory nature of Rufus Shinra. A balance that Elena feared could all too easily be tipped if subjected to the wrong kind of pressure.

It was while Elena was considering such things that Rufus suddenly seemed to make his mind up about whatever had been bothering him. Rising from his seat he murmured a few words to Gabriella before stepping away. Elena followed him with her eyes as he made his way slowly across the room. At first he looked like he might be leaving, walking away from the other guests towards the exit. Then however he turned sharply without warning, shifting his direction so that he was now heading straight towards the spot where Elena had segregated herself from the rest of the party. It was all Elena could do to snap her eyes back into a forward facing direction, hoping silently that he had not spotted her gaze fixed on him.

Striding up to her, Rufus' expression appeared stern and tight-lipped. Upon reaching his employee he turned to look in the same direction as she was facing; the small party were now settling into seats in the centre of the room, drinks in hand.

"What is up with you?" he eventually questioned in a low, almost angry tone, eyes still cast out towards the other guests rather than looking directly at Elena, "You've not been yourself all evening."

"Nothing sir, I'm fine honestly." Elena answered though her downcast features suggested otherwise.

Rufus frowned, twisting his figure around so that he was now facing the Turk, his eyes almost boring into her. Before he had a chance to answer however Henry Ingham called out from across the room:

"Rufus, come and join us! There's a seat here saved for you."

Looking over his shoulder Rufus acknowledged the invitation with a smile and a nod before turning sharply back upon Elena. He glared at her furiously for a moment as she looked away with a placid expression. This passive-aggressive stance she had adopted was beyond maddening!

"I wish you would make more of an effort to interact with everyone." He pressed, "It doesn't bode well to have you sulking in a corner all evening."

"I'm just doing my job sir."

"Nonsense." He snapped, "There's no good reason why you should be removing yourself from the rest of the party. You are Gabriella's guest as much as I am and I expect you to act accordingly!"

Elena could not help a small wry smile at this last comment.

"If you wish sir."

Rufus caught the note of sarcasm in her manner, his irritation peaking.

"Yes I _do _wish it Elena." He replied in a restrained hiss. Lips drawn tight with vexation he continued to glare daggers at her for a few moments. Then with a slow exhalation of air he looked away, his expression thoughtful, almost calculating as his eyes trailed off in the same direction as Elena was currently staring. Together they watched the small party of people, Gabriella in the centre, conducting the conversation with a bold, happy voice.

A few moments of silence passed.

"What do you think of Gabriella, Elena?" His voice was much calmer than it had been a second before. The relaxed, conceited air with which the question was phrased set the Turk's teeth on edge. Shoulders stiffening slightly Elena quickly searched her brain for an appropriate answer-

_Rude, arrogant, condescending, slutty!_

"She is very beautiful sir." She said in a controlled voice.

"Hmm, that's true." He gave a small ironic smile, "I wonder what she must think of me by comparison- I'm hardly the catch I once was, by any stretch of the imagination."

Elena flinched, frowning at her sudden fluster. Not trusting herself to look at him she turned her eyes to the floor once again before speaking in a low hushed voice.

"...That shouldn't matter sir."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, if she....that is...it shouldn't matter sir"

Rufus narrowed his eyes as he considered the flustered figure by his side.

"If she what?"

"If she... truly..." Elena bit her lip, unable to bring herself to say the words.

Rufus observed her a moment longer before suddenly breaking out into an almost mocking grin.

"Oh Elena, I had no idea you were such a hopeless romantic." He scoffed, shaking his head at her folly, "Really, I thought you had a leveller head than that!"

Wincing Elena chose not to answer. Another silence passed between them, one that burnt with Elena's continued curiosity on the subject. Eventually, unable to bear it any longer she cracked, and with a shaky resolve raised her head to look over at Rufus.

"Do—do you think you will...pursue her then sir?" She winced again, this time internally, at her choice of words.

"Pursue?" Rufus smiled softly before turning to face Elena once more, looking her straight in the eye as he seemed to consider the question. His gaze was so intense and searching Elena begun to feel that he was somehow waiting for her to answer for him. "Perhaps..." he finally answered in a slow deliberate voice, not breaking eye contact, "if it gets me what I want."

"Rufus!" A voice from the background interrupted again, this time female in its timbre, "Won't you come over here? We need your input!" Gabriella pleaded in a half-joking fashion, the other guests grinning in response.

For his part Rufus didn't turn around, although his eyes did flicker at the address. Focusing back on Elena he smiled almost slyly before raising a hand and beckoning her with a quick motion.

"Come with me" he said in a clipped voice, spinning around to make his way back to the rest of the company. Elena fought down the unnerving feeling she had been experiencing moments earlier, replacing it with mild annoyance. Only yesterday he had spent most of the evening ignoring her, now he was claiming irritation at her lack of sociability! Clenching her jaw she trailed him towards the table. Her exasperation however, quickly gave way to apprehension as she drew nearer. She didn't want to talk to these people, didn't want to have to listen to their banal observations and condescending remarks. After the disaster that had occurred the previous night she had hoped Rufus would have grown averse to the idea. Why then was he dragging her once more back into the fray?

"What are we talking about?" Rufus asked, pulling up a chair for Elena in a quick, abrupt gesture which was not to be refused. Meekly Elena accepted the chair and sat down in amongst the others.

"Your home town actually." Bryce said brightly, ignoring the obvious tension hanging between Rufus and his employee.

"Oh?" Rufus answered unenthusiastically, settling into his own chair as he did so.

"It must be so exciting," Gabriella said dreamily, "to be part of a new city like that, to be there from the onset!"

"You're overly romanticising it Gabriella," Rufus answered wryly, "it's a second-hand city, populated by second-hand citizens, there's nothing new about it."

"I don't believe you," Gabriella answered glibly, "it's still the start of something new- the chance to create a while new culture, a new identity!"

"Whatever identity Edge is forming for itself it is certainly a dull one. Not a character you would wish to acquaint yourself with."

"That would be for me to decide," Gabriella returned, "maybe one day I will get the chance to judge it for myself."

"Maybe." Rufus answered a small equivocal smile flitting across his features.

"Tell me," cut in Ingham's wife, "do they still put on the annual production of _'Loveless'_? I have such fond memories of going to see it with Henry when we last visited Midgar."

"Dear gods I hope not!" Rufus answered with a sneer, "What a tedious, pretentious piece of drivel that was!"

"Not a fan of the unknown playwright then?" Bryce questioned with a facetious smile, "'Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess,'" he quoted out loud, raising his arms up in emphasis, "'we seek it thus, and take to the sky!'"

Rufus gave him a withering look that was anything but impressed. "Just because it is anonymous doesn't mean it's mysterious. And just because it is old doesn't make it any good! Plus I have it on good authority that it once drove an entire contingent of SOLDIERs mad with its incessant quoting!"

Bryce chuckled before turning to Gabriella, "It's no use my dear," he said, shaking his head with amusement, "there's not an ounce of sentimentality in the good President here, we might as well stop trying to coax it out!"

Gabriella laughed merrily in response, "_You _may consider it a lost cause," she replied confidently, "_I _do not give up so easily!"

"Well maybe we can find a better proponent for the city's charms in our other Edgian!" Bryce twisted around to face Elena who returned his gaze blankly for a few moments before realising he was referring to her.

"Sorry?" she asked in confusion.

"What do you make of the new city?" Bryce asked jovially, "do you see it in a better light than old Shinra over here?"

"Well, I..." Elena hesitated, acutely aware of how every set of eyes were now turned to face her. "Maybe I... prefer it."

"What? You prefer that rusting bucket of a place to the original city?" This direct from Rufus' mouth. Looking up Elena met the sharp gaze of her employer. Oddly his look did more to calm her than distress her further.

"It feels more open now sir." She replied softly.

"You mean bare?"

"No sir. I mean half the population can now see the sky at least."

Rufus' lips tightened but he said nothing in reply. Across the table Gabriella watched the exchange with a curious eye.

"So how is the city divided up now?" Bryce chipped in again, breaking the awkward silence that had briefly descended.

"Pardon?" Elena questioned.

"Well now there is no upper or lower plate to speak of." Bryce elaborated, "How are the class partitions laid out? What would you say is the equivalent of the slums these days?"

"I don't-" she paused, attempting to rally her resolve, "I don't think it's a good idea to emulate the plate system in Edge. The divide... well, it wasn't right. I don't see why the two sets of people can't live in the same place."

Bryce smirked and glanced towards Rufus as if expecting him to join in with the amusement, the President however showed no outwards signs of response.

"It's not a matter of seeing why my dear, it's just the way things are!" Bryce attempted to explain, his voice taking on the intonations of a school teacher, "Put such a large number of people together and there will always be some natural clustering, like with like. Those of a certain background will always tend to attract towards each other. You can remonstrate against it all you wish but you cannot change it."

"But surely, everyone who came to the Edge did so as equals. They all started there with nothing, there were no class divides after meteor was through." Elena shifted in her seat starting to feel decidedly uncomfortable at having to defend her views against such scrutiny.

"But it is not just a matter of monetary wealth." Bryce pressed, "Money really has nothing to do with it. Give a slob a fortune and he will still be a slob. No, it is more to do with a person's upbringing, their education, their approach to life. Those who lacked certain qualities in how they were raised are simply more likely to go for the easy approach, more naturally inclined towards violence or crime. Do you think it is no coincidence that that terrorist group AVALANCHE was started in the slums? Why I bet they couldn't get a single upper-plate dweller to join them even if they tried!"

"That's because everyone on the upper-plate were Shin-Ra employees." Elena replied deadpan. A short snort of amusement made every face at the table turn towards Rufus. Fighting down his smile however he continued to contribute nothing but just watched Elena with an almost intense gaze. From her seat Gabriella noted the attention being focused upon the Turk and frowned slightly in irritation.

"And it's not just a question of their mentality." Bryce continued to preach, clearly enjoying the sound of his own voice, "It's to do with their lifestyle; the poor diet, the lack of concern regarding basic sanitation. Families just allowing their children to fall prey to geostigma when it arrived."

"No one _allowed _their children to catch geostigma!" Elena answered back shocked.

"But still, you cannot deny that it was the street children, the most ignored and neglected in our societies who were most susceptible to the disease?"

Elena glanced furtively across towards the President. Rufus was sitting very still, though the look in his eyes had grown icy to say the least.

"True the young were particularly vulnerable to geostigma, but anyone could catch it. The stigma didn't acknowledge any class distinction-"

"Well I think it was just horrid!" All eyes turned to attend to the sharp, almost shrill contribution by Gabriella as she cut Elena off midsentence, "Why, I remember some of the people around Rocket Town caught the disease, some of them children too, though not all. It was simply awful to see the poor little souls suffering like that!"

"Yes my dear, I remember you getting quite distressed at the sight of them." Gabriella's mother piped in.

Gabriella noted righteously before turning to point an accusing finger at Bryce, "You shouldn't talk of the matter so flippantly! Really Mr. Bryce you ought to be ashamed!"

"Oh indeed I am my dear, most ashamed!" Bryce replied raising his hands in supplication, though the amusement in his voice lacked conviction.

Gabriella smiled satisfactorily before turning to Rufus, lifting her head in the air as if to say 'there now.' Rufus in turn swivelled his eyes to consider her triumphant gaze, though stony-faced for a moment longer the corner of his mouth soon twitched upwards in a small conspiratorial smile.

"Fine words Gabriella." He murmured, making the young woman smile all the more broadly.

From her position Elena looked away, though not quickly enough to miss the knowing smile exchanged between Mr. and Mrs. Ingham as they watched Rufus compliment their daughter.

_AU note: Thanks for all the lovely lovely reviews guys! I've been trying my best to answer them in turn. Right now the tally stands at 40, I'll be chuffed to bits if it makes it to 50! *hint, hint* _


	14. Chapter 14

_AU note: Hooray for bank holidays- gives me a chance to polish off this chapter after being super busy all weekend. Thanks ever so much to everyone who took the trouble to review- we're now past the 50-review mark, wow!!!_

The second helicopter ride of the trip was a much brighter, sunnier affair than the one before. Gone was the low, overcast sky that had marred the journey between Edge and Junon, on the Western Continent the weather was much more agreeable, the heavens clear save for the occasional wisp of cloud. Peering out of her window Elena could see the expanse of forests and mountains that made up this region laid out before her. There were however little in the way of landmarks in this wilderness to mark their progress.

Rufus had been in conversation with the Inghams for most of the journey, idle superfluous chatter that Elena had long stopped bothering to pay attention to, allowing the sound to merge with the constant drone of the engine and chopping noises of the rotary blades. By the look of the slightly fixed smile adorning Rufus' face from his location on the other side of the helicopter he was pretty fed-up of the conversation too. If it had been with anyone else he would've most likely told them to shut up long ago, as it was Elena figured he was forcing himself to make an exception in this case.

And what other choice did he have in the matter? Not when they were to be guests at the Inghams' house for the next couple of days at least. Elena closed her eyes at the thought, exhaling slowly through the nose. She still wasn't entirely sure how it had all come about. Somewhere in between the drinks evening and the helicopter journey words had been spoken, Ingham had insisted, making good on his promise of playing host whenever the President ventured too close to Rocket Town, and Rufus had, with little persuasion, agreed.

It was only a couple of days she told herself, only two or three more at the most surely. Then talks would be wound up, arrangements for contracts to be written would be made, and she could go back to Edge with all this behind her. Henry Ingham or even his daughter might follow soon after but what concern would that be to Elena? She would not have to meet them again, and if she did it would only be via a passing professional encounter, another role at playing bodyguard maybe while Rufus showed them the sights of Edge, or even taking Gabriella to a performance of his much loathed _'Loveless'_ production.

Part of Elena would not be at all surprised if that proved to be the case. It would be typical Rufus. He surely knew by now of Elena's mutual dislike of Gabriella; the way she shrank from the woman, conversation clipped and forced was telling enough. For her part Gabriella appeared at best apathetic of the Turk, obviously having dismissed her as a potential rival about a minute into meeting her, while at worst slightly contemptuous. Rather than attempt to relieve Elena's discomfort however Rufus seemed intent on prolonging their time with the Inghams... though Elena didn't have to question herself very hard to guess why. But still why did he always insist on her being present too? Maybe he saw it as character building, an opportunity to strengthen her demeanour in the face of such open hostility.... Or maybe he just enjoyed watching her suffer. If that was the case then she wouldn't give him the satisfaction, wouldn't flinch, wouldn't show any sign of how much such encounters upset her- no, no, no!

_Why does it upset you?_

Wrinkling her nose distastefully Elena retreated from the question, refocusing instead on the scene outside. Continuing to gaze almost dreamily out towards the world below she noticed for the first time a strip of blue appearing on the horizon- the ocean. They must be close.

"Do you see the airfleet?"

Elena twisted her head around sharply, startled at the unexpected address. Rufus was standing over her, propping one arm on the head rest above her as he leaned in to look out the window, his face only a matter of inches away from her own. Unused to having the President in such close proximity it took Elena a moment to adjust. Rufus was not looking at her however but staring fixedly out of the plexi-glass window. Turning her head to follow his direction of focus Elena could just about discern something several miles off. From above it looked almost like a lake, sparkling and flashing in the sunlight. But this was no body of water, it was too uniform in its composition- a neat square of metallic structures, lined up in rows. Still gazing out of the window she nodded mutely by way of confirmation to the question, stunned as to how many airships there had to be to make up such a spectacle.

"You and I will have to go pay it a visit sometime soon."

Elena turned her head around again to face him. This time Rufus did move his gaze to focus on her, eyes shifting away from the window to lock onto hers. Elena simply looked back. There had been a time when having the President look down directly at her, planning future missions in which she was to be the only other confederate would have brought her close to an anxiety attack. Although oddly not entirely unaffected at the prospect, Elena nonetheless was now able to greet such news with a professional kind of calm. Indeed, an inexplicable part of her was glad, happy to be able to work alongside Rufus alone without disruptions from others.

"Yes sir." She said, still looking him directly in the eye.

Rufus smiled, "Good." Pushing himself up he turned to make his way back to his seat, speaking out in a louder voice as he did so, "Get ready, we'll be landing in ten minutes."

***

Ingham was right, you could see the aircraft hangers from his land. In fact Elena could just about glimpse the distant nestle of buildings from the room she was currently alone in. Stepping away from the window she sighed and stretched, attempting to alleviate some of the ache of the helicopter journey from her muscles. The guest room she had been given was overly ornate, a rococo fantasy of curving gilded furniture and flowery wallpaper motifs. The bed was one of the largest she had ever slept in. Despite the flamboyance of the decor she imagined Rufus was housed in an even grander room, though whereabouts she had no idea. The party had been split up almost as soon as they reached the Ingham's, both she and Rufus shown separately to their rooms. Elena had been left with little to no instructions and was now at something of a loss as to what to do. She could go looking for Rufus she supposed but had no clue as to where to find him, besides what was there to do except get settled and maybe rest? The toll of two nights' socialising paired with the long journey across the continent was already starting to take its effect.

Perching awkwardly on the edge of the bed Elena dropped her gaze towards her small travelling case. Maybe she could start unpacking if nothing else. The thought however made her grimace, no it could wait...

She was saved from any further debating by the sudden sound of her phone going off. Most likely Rufus wanting to know where she'd gotten to. Flipping the phone open she pressed it against her ear.

"Hello?"

"_Hey Turkey!"_

Elena flopped backwards onto the bed with a resigned sigh.

"Gods, what do you want?" She asked, though with a slight smile.

"_Well ain't that just a friendly greeting. Kinda makes you feel all fuzzy inside!"_

Glancing at her wristwatch Elena did some quick mental calculations; it had to be in the early hours of the morning over in Edge. On the other end of the line she could hear a background murmur of voices, indicative that Reno was phoning from a bar.

"What time is it over there?" She ventured.

"_I dunno late- who can say for sure!"_

Sighing again Elena rolled her eyes up to the ceiling.

"_Don't you go rolling yer eyes at me blondie, it's the weekend after all!"_

"Is it?" Elena asked mournfully only partly wondering how Reno could read her facial expressions down the phone, "I've kinda lost track..."

"_Boss working yer hard?"_

"Something like that."

_So how is pretty boy? Still alive and smug?"_

"Yes"

"_Hey, good job! Y'know it was three-to-one odds over here one of you would've ended up dead by now!"_

"Thanks!" Elena remarked bitterly, trying despite herself not to think too carefully about the implications behind that comment.

"_Wait a minute, wait a minute-" _Reno sung down the earpiece, ignoring or unaware of the angry response he had just received, _"I've got someone here who wants to say something!"_

There was a pause at the other end during which time Elena could hear a faint scuffle as Reno pressed the phone at a reluctant second person. A few seconds later and she heard a low familiar voice.

"_...Hello."_

"Hi Rude," Elena replied with a soft smile. Though she hadn't been thinking about it much she realised talking to them how much she was missing her co-workers back in Edge.

There was another pause while Rude appeared to consider what to say-

"_How's work?"_

"Good, thank you. Kinda tiring."

"_Hmmm, well... stick with it."_

"Will do."

"_...Bye"_

"Bye" Elena murmured back, the smile still playing about her face. A moment later and the redhead was back on the line.

"_That was Rude!"_ Reno crowed with such a gleeful note that Elena could almost see the drunken grin on his face.

"How's the training going?" She enquired with a laugh.

"_Eh, you what? Oh, you mean the little Turk protégés? The Poults!"_

"The wha-? Hey, does that mean I'm not the newbie anymore?" Elena asked, perking up at the prospect of being one of the Turks with 'experience' for once.

"_Awwww!" _Reno mocked down the phone, _"don't you worry 'Lena, you'll _always _be the newbie!_

"_But nah, they're doing great, taking after the master and all! What?-" _he paused to listen to a correction from Rude,_ "oh yeah, mastersss! Tho' I gotta say it's kinda hard to keep 'em in line, y'know discipline 'em when they're all just so in awe of you- like shouting at a puppy!"_

"Maybe you could get the President to give you some tips." Elena answered, unable to stop herself from breaking out in a small grin at the sudden vision of Rufus reprimanding a puppy.

"_Heh, heh good idea. Talking of which you guys gotta come back soon, yo! We need the boss man! It's chaos over here, we've got WRO crawling all over us... well Reeve, but hell he _is _WRO!"_

"Reeve?" Elena repeated in confusion.

"_Yeah, it's all some kinda fiendish plot if you ask me; first seed the company-"_

"Secede."

"_Yeah whatever," _Reno dismissed with a snort,_ "Next, wait 'til the power that be is off swanning it in Costa del Sol. Then start a hostile takeover _from the inside!" This last phrase hissed in a conspiratorial whisper. _"We're trying our best to hold the fort but I don't think Tseng is taking the threat seriously enough- always a bit of a slacker that one. Sooo, at the risk of very great personal risk I- _we, _are currently infiltrating enemy territory in order to garner information!"_

"You what?"

"_I'm at the bar!"_

"Yes, so I gather."

"_Noo, _THE _bar- that hotbed of terrorist activity!"_

"Oh? Really?" Elena raised her eyebrows in surprise, ".. and what've you learned?"

"_Good question! Strife ain't here, some dumbass excuse about a delivery- v. suspicious if you ask me. Tifa's acting all hostile but I think she secretly harbours enemy sympathies- wait I'll check. Tifa?" _This name coming more distantly down the line, as Reno called out across the bar rather than into the mouthpiece, _"TIFA! Yo Lockhart!- gis' us a smile!.... Yeah, she loves me, no worries." _Reno concluded, returning to the phone with a satisfied air.

"Hmmm," Elena gave a lopsided grin trying to think of something witty to say in rebuke. Before she had the chance though a soft knock sounded on the door.

"Hang on a sec," she said to Reno as she pulled herself up off the bed and towards the door.

Opening the door Elena found herself face to face with a rather straight-laced man in a uniform, she blinked still holding the phone stupidly to her ear- what was he a butler? A servant? What was the right form of address?

The man hesitated, possibly unsure as to whether to address Elena as a guest or a fellow servant.

"Miss Elena?" he enquired at last, opting for a formal approach.

"Yes?"

"President Shinra wishes to know if you are ready?"

"Ready? For what?" Elena asked already starting to dread the answer, why couldn't she just rest for a few hours?

"The President didn't say."

Elena sighed before turning away, bowing her head to talk to Reno on the phone.

"Sorry, gotta go, duty calls and all that."

"_Boooring!" _Reno's protest was loud enough to be audible across the room. Wincing Elena looked up in time to catch the messenger raise an eyebrow.

"I'll talk to you guys when I get back yeah?" Elena said hurriedly, keen to wrap up the conversation.

"_Yeah whatever_." Reno snorted again_, "Parting words, if pretty boy tries to give you too much shit you have Reno's permission to give him a kick up the ass, you're a Turk, don't be weak! Okay, byeee, love youuu!"_

Again these last sentences were spoken through the earpiece at some volume. Flipping shut her phone Elena attempted a weak apologetic smile at the butler figure, who in turn looked back deadpan.

"Would you like to follow me miss?"

Elena trailed the guy along the hallway to the main reception area of the house. The staircase that led down to the ground floor from the bedrooms was a wide open sweeping affair, built of cold grey marble and dark mahogany banisters, lined with a thick plush carpet. Despite all the materials being of obvious expensive, top-quality origins they still did not succeed in achieving the grand, old style the designers had been aiming for. Instead the whole effect was slightly crude, practically screaming 'nouveau riche'.

"But why do you want to head out to that god awful place at all? Especially when you've only just arrived!" Henry Ingham's booming voice echoed across the marble foyer as Elena approached the party gathered at the foot of the stairs.

"There are some people I'm interested in talking to over there." Rufus answered calmly, looking up briefly at Elena's appearance at the top of the staircase, "Plus I am keen to see the airfleet they've been building."

"Well you don't have to travel all the way to see _that_, just look out the damn window!" Descending the stairs Elena made her way to Rufus' side. Judging by the conversation there was going to be no rest stop after all, when Rufus had professed an interest in seeing Rocket Town 'soon' he obviously meant that afternoon.

"Will it be safe for you to go alone? Those WRO soldiers can be quite brutish." Gabriella said, her beautiful concerned face not in the least bit drained from the long helicopter ride.

"I shan't be alone, Elena will be coming with me." Rufus answered blithely.

Gabriella glanced over at the Turk so that the two women's eyes met briefly.

"Very well, if you think that's sufficient."

Despite her best efforts not to Elena couldn't suppress a small tightening of the lips at that comment. With a surreptitious sideways glance Rufus clocked the Turk's reaction before answering Gabriella with a small smirk.

"Don't concern yourself Gabriella. Everything will be perfectly fine. We will be back in an hour or so at most."

Still reluctant but unable to come up with any further concerns Gabriella nodded softly. "See that you are, we will be waiting."

Rufus bowed his head in return before turning his attention to Elena.

"Ready?" He asked simply. Elena gave a short professional nod before leading the way out of the house.

***

There was no motorcade to escort the President to Rocket Town, Rufus either being too cheap or too unconcerned to request one. Instead there was only one of the trademark Shin-Ra executive cars, shiny and black emblazoned on the side with the red rhombus of the company logo. Seeing that there was no driver Elena took up position at the wheel, a quite search locating the keys inside the glove box. The drive to Rocket Town was quiet though hardly smooth sailing. Despite Elena's best efforts at manoeuvring the vehicle across the dry dusty roads there were enough potholes scattered along the way to make the car jump and lurch intermittently. Rufus clenched his teeth irritably after one particularly bad drop made the entire suspension system squeak in protest, the impact jolting painfully through his body.

"One would think Reeve would find the time to fix these damn roads!" He complained bitterly out loud.

"Sorry sir." Elena apologised eyes flicking up briefly to the rear view mirror.

"Not your fault Elena." Rufus dismissed even as the car gave another rocking lurch from side to side.

There was a pause before Elena spoke up again, her eyes now focused on the road ahead. "I spoke to Reno earlier today. He said Reeves has been snooping around the head quarters."

"Oh?" Rufus replied, not sounding in the least bit surprised.

Elena hesitated, suddenly no longer sure about the quality of the information she was passing on. "... Do you know what he wants?" Internally Elena thought it might have something to do with the Deepground Project she had overheard Rufus speak about with Tseng on the phone, though she didn't have the nerve to ask directly.

Glancing once more at the rear view mirror her eyes were briefly caught by Rufus' blue ones as he looked up expressionless. Twitching one side of his mouth up into a lazy smile Rufus looked away out of the passenger window.

"Do not worry yourself about Reeve Elena. I doubt that whatever is irking him will be enough to make him pursue us halfway across the globe. Whatever it is it can wait 'til our return."

Realising that this was the best answer she was going to get Elena dropped the subject, focusing solely on the road and the ever nearing presence of Rocket Town.

A few minutes later and the car pulled gently into what could be considered the central square of the town but was really just a small clearing within the ring of wooden timber houses and leafy chestnut trees.

"My, my, the WRO have been busy haven't they?" Rufus murmured as he stepped out of the car. Elena looked up also at the scene in front of her. The rocket of the eponymously named town was of course long gone, though replaced by something no less impressive. An entire fleet of airships stood magnificently across the area, dwarfing the small wooden houses beneath them. While some were nestled in equally large hangers others were positioned outside, glinting silver in the harsh sunlight.

"So this is what Reeve has been spending it all on... I wonder what the purpose behind it is." Rufus muttered the words almost under his breath before setting off with a confident stride, his own sense of self-importance in no way deflated under the presence of the metal goliaths.

"Sure are a lot of soldiers." Elena replied as she followed behind, gazing around at the military personnel dotted around the air craft carriers. "The uniforms are... different. It's kinda strange to be able to see their faces."

"I never liked the whole mask thing." Rufus sniffed in reference to the old Shin-Ra uniform, "It's always preferable to be able to make eye-contact with one's troops- so much more effective when you're shouting at them."

Elena smiled nervously in response, growing more and more aware of the curious looks and attentions they were drawing from the WRO guards.

"Where exactly are we going sir?" She asked falteringly.

"Hadn't really thought about it." Rufus answered nonchalantly, apparently immune to the sense of intimidation Elena was feeling, "Let's just see how far we get shall we?"

They carried on walking further into the town. Directly ahead of them rested one of the grandest of the airships, its bulk almost blocking out the sun so that its form was little more than a silhouette, the title 'Shera' barely discernible along its front side. Beneath it was nestled a small house with a picket fence, swamped within the shadow cast by the ship. It was towards this building that Rufus was ambling, apparently in no hurry whatsoever. Shifting his eyes he took a sidelong glance at his jittery accomplice and smiled.

"Those hat things they're wearing are frankly ridiculous." he commented jovially, nodding towards the red beanies atop some of the soldiers' heads, "Puts one in mind of a tea cosy."

"I think they're kind of fetching." Elena replied attempting to adopt a similarly light-hearted air.

"Oh really?" Rufus asked, turning his head to smile directly at her, "Would you like one? You know it's been far too long since the Turk uniform was given a revamp."

Elena's eyes widened briefly before narrowing again, playing along with an amused frown.

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Well now you're just provoking me."

Elena smiled in spite of herself and turned her head away. Immediately upon doing so she spotted a figure moving towards them at a nervous, apprehensive trot. Tensing momentarily she relaxed upon determining that the person in question did not appear to be carrying a gun or any of the other weapons that the WRO troops were decked out in. Instead she appeared to be a scientist or engineer of some sort, or at least that was the impression given off by the white lab coat she was wearing. Frowning, Elena could not help but think it a little odd to be wearing a laboratory coat out in the open air, especially one streaked in engine grease as this one seemed to be.

"Can I help you?" the woman asked almost breathlessly, eyes flitting nervously between the Turk and the President as she did so. It was obvious she had been alerted to their presence and had rushed to intercept them.

"I don't really know, can you?" Rufus replied drawing to a stop, a somewhat condescending smile flitting across his face.

The older woman hesitated before responding, "What brings you to Rocket Town Mr. President?"

"And you are?"

"Shera"

"Ah, the namesake behind that great airship over there. You must be very proud."

Shera looked away, obviously flustered by the comment. Rufus merely smirked.

"So where's Highwind?" he asked, his voice dropping its light air as his countenance took on a more business-like stance.

"Doing some engineering work on one of the ships." Shera answered in a guarded tone.

"Of course" Rufus said with a smirk.

"Shall I send word you're here?"

Rufus half-shrugged, "Only if you want to."

Shera looked visibly putout by Rufus' almost apathetic attitude. Shifting her weight from one leg to the other she glanced briefly at Elena before turning her attention back to Rufus.

"Would- would you like to wait inside?" she asked, gesturing vaguely towards the small house nestled under the airship.

"Why not?" Rufus replied smiling appreciatively at the offer. Hesitating for a moment Shera turned and stepped a little ways off, exchanging a quick dialogue with one of the nearby officers. Then, turning back she smiled again nervously and gestured for them to follow.

***

Shera led the way, opening the door to let Rufus and his bodyguard in. This was the first time the President had deigned to step foot in her home, on his last visit he had pointedly refused to cross the threshold, opting to send Palmer in instead to fetch Cid. To her horror her eyes took in the state of the kitchen, the used tea cups littering the sink, the bits of engine that Cid had been in the process of dismantling strewn across the table. Hurrying forward she made a move to clear the surfaces of the offending articles.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, filling her arms with bits of machinery, adding more oil stains to the sleeves of her coat as she did so, "we weren't expecting visitors."

Rufus smiled but made no comment, his eyes moving slowly to take in his surroundings.

Having cleared the bulk of the items from the table Shera gestured at the empty chairs, "Please, won't you take a seat?"

Rufus' eyes flicked back to face her before offering another accommodating smile. Shera stood by, watching cautiously as the young president sat himself down, careful to avoid letting any part of him come into contact with the spots of engine oil still dotted around the table. The blonde, short haired Turk remained standing, positioning herself between the President and the front door, though her eyes flicked intermittently towards the back entrance.

"Would you like some tea?" she asked in an agitated voice, half-wishing for Cid to return and take over the handling of the situation, but at the same time half-dreading what such an encounter might entail.

Rufus looked up, nodding politely, "Thank you that is most kind of you."

Shera returned the nod before looking towards the Turk expectantly. Meeting her eye the blonde smiled before shaking her head lightly.

"Nothing at all?" Shera asked, feeling almost dismayed at being denied her default method of entertainment.

"Do excuse Elena," Rufus answered on the Turk's behalf, "she takes her job very seriously, won't drink at all while on the clock. I presume this is now extending to caffeinated beverages as well."

From behind the President's back Shera caught the Turk roll her eyes surreptitiously at the comment. Turning away she started to prepare the tea set. A minute of near excruciating silence passed in which she could almost feel the President's eyes boring into the back of her.

"So what are you fuelling the ships with these days if mako is no longer an option?" His voice was calm and lazy, breaking the silence that had built up in the room.

Shera hesitated at the question, shoulders tensing slightly, seemingly unsure about how much to divulge to Rufus.

"Gasoline mostly, from oil derivatives we've managed to refine." She answered, not turning around, "We're still having to rely on mako for some of the larger ships."

Rufus hummed as if sympathising with the complications.

"And how are the oil excavations going?"

Shera twisted around to face him, looking positively worried now, gazing back at Rufus' smiling countenance with a somewhat rigid expression.

"Not all that well from what I gather," Rufus said, answering his own question in the wake of Shera's silence, "You've tapped into one well but the yield wasn't as much as you might've hoped. So what now?"

"We're looking into other options." Shera answered quietly. Setting the tea things on the table with a gentle clinking sound before taking a seat herself.

"Who are we?" Rufus asked looking down to idly pick a piece of non-existent lint from the sleeve of his suit, "You mean Mr. Wallace?" he smiled condescendingly, "I'm sure his heart is in the right place but I would be concerned about his credentials. A Corellian coal-miner turned one-time terrorist leader could hardly be considered an expert when it comes to oil."

"And what makes a mako-tycoon any better qualified?" Shera retorted.

"Plenty," Rufus answered without missing a beat, "Mako and oil have much in common in regards to consistency and sourcing. We were at the forefront in technological development when it came to drilling location and extraction. A little refinement in the process would be all that is needed to really get this project off the ground."

Shera stared tight-lipped across the table at the President.

"I am merely offering my help." Rufus said in a low, confiding voice.

"I think it's best if we wait for my husband." Shera answered unnerved.

"I'm not interested in talking to Highwind." Rufus replied, his voice rising to a sharp, dismissive note, "All he's been doing up until now is tinkering with his airships. You're the one who's been overseeing the oil drilling in this area, even despite your recent stigma affliction."

Shera blinked in surprise, realisation slowly dawning on her that Rufus Shinra knew more about her and her recent activities than his initial play of ignorance had let on. Turning her eyes away from the cool steady gaze of the President she looked up instead at the other occupant of the room. Elena returned her look with a neutral expression. Then, all of a sudden the eyes of the Turk shifted to the front window, face morphing into one of alert readiness. A second later and Shera could discern the approach of foot falls outside, by the sound of the thick heavy boots striding angrily towards the door word had gotten through about the arrival of the unexpected guests. Pushing her chair back hurriedly, so that it scraped against the floor Shera took a step back, keen to put some separation between herself and the visitors.

Cid almost booted the door in with his entrance, the loud bang of the door slamming against its hinges making Elena half reach for her gun. Stomping forward the pilot's eyes immediately turned to clock Rufus sitting at the table, a cup of tea set out before him.

"What the hell is _he _doing here?" He demanded angrily, lit cigarette dangling from between clenched teeth. Rufus merely smiled, not at all fazed by the hostile greeting. Cid glowered angrily in return before sitting himself heavily down into the seat recently vacated by Shera.

"That's an impressive fleet of airships you're building out there." Rufus began, with an acknowledging tilt of the head, "Tell me, are they _all _based on the prototype you stole from us?"

"*&*!" Cid spat, the brief moment of dialogue between the two men exploding into angry expletives, "The Highwind was my ship long before you lot got your stinking hands on it!"

"Built with Shin-Ra money no less; we were simply claiming what was ours when we moved the Highwind to Junon. Much like I was attempting to do with the Tiny Bronco last time I was here."

Cid bristled visibly at the mention of Rufus' last visit- "Yeah well, you can think again before trying to take anymore airships from me- these babies are WRO funded, WRO built and WRO f*ing owned. You don't have a single claim on them!"

Cid leant back in his chair triumphantly, only to be dumbfounded by the knowing smirk playing across Rufus' face.

"What's so damn funny? You *&%^^!" He yelled enraged, pulling the cigarette angrily from his mouth.

Rufus tilted his head, the smile still prominent on his face, "Language please," he replied in a calm fashion, "after all there are ladies present."

"Ladies?!" Cid scoffed, casting a derisory look behind Rufus' shoulder towards Elena's direction, "Don't look much like a lady to me!"

From her vantage point Shera could see instantly that this was a bad move on Cid's part. If he hadn't succeeded in rattling Rufus by calling him a *&%^^ he had certainly managed it now. The amused expression stiffened and almost threatened to dissipate completely, eyes narrowing just a fraction. He took a long drawn out breath through his nose before answering in a low, controlled voice.

"I suggest you apologise forthwith if you know what's good for you."

Shera braved a look across to the Turk. She was standing straight-backed, staring directly ahead of her, refusing to look at either Cid or the President. Though trying her best to appear calm there was a tension about her eyes and jaw that gave away her disquiet.

"Cid.." Shera attempted.

"No way Shera," Cid spat, meeting Rufus' glare with one just as furious while taking a sharp drag from his cigarette, "I don't have to do anything this god damn *&% wants anymore! Like I said I work for WRO now, those are WRO ships out there- you can just skulk your bony little Shin-Ra ass out of here!"

"But who owns the land?" Rufus snapped back in retort, his calm persona starting to fray at the edges, "this whole town was founded by the Shin-Ra Space Exploration Programme, you should remember that well enough _Captain_." Almost spitting out the last word such was his vehemence, "WRO may be building its ships here but as far as I can recall I never signed any contract selling off the company rights to this place. What's say I start charging you rent for starters?"

Cid blinked in surprise before resuming his angry scowl, "Eh? You're full of shit Shinra, why I've half a mind to get Reeve on the phone and see what he makes of your crappy ass threat!"

"Yes, good idea," Rufus answered without a pause, "let's see how seriously Reeve takes my little notion. In fact, scrap that, this should be entertaining- let's see how much trouble I can mete out to the World Regenesis Organisation as a whole before the evening is out!"

"Cid, for pity's sake will you just apologise!" Shera snapped with exasperation.

Cid flinched, suddenly less sure of his position. His eyes moved shiftily between the angry faces of both Shera and Rufus before eventually glancing up at Elena, a mollified expression on his brow.

"Sorry" he mumbled, almost incoherently.

"Elena, will that suffice for you?" Rufus asked curtly, not taking his eyes off the pilot.

"Yes, that should be fine." Elena answered monotonely.

"Good." Rufus suddenly stood up, with such abruptness that it took both Cid and Shera by surprise, "Thank you again for the tea, it's been a pleasure as always. Now if you'll excuse us I was planning on taking a look at the oil excavations you've been doing in the area. Call it a landlord's inspection if you will. As I said if you have any concerns please don't hesitate to take it up with Reeve. Good day!"

A minute or so of stunned silence passed following the exit of the two guests. Taking the cigarette stub from his lips Cid crushed the end against a saucer before fishing out a cell phone, searching for another cigarette at the same time. Still bristling he started to type in a number while Shera watched on with concern.

"You're not really going to call Reeve are you?" She enquired somewhat incredulously.

"Hell no, but I am gonna call for some reinforcements!" Cid grumbled back, pressing the phone to his ear while simultaneously lighting his cigarette.

Rufus strode angrily out of the house with Elena following warily at his heels. Though he didn't say anything his face was still dark with storm clouds. For her part Elena said nothing, mind still racing to try to catch up with the events that had just taken place and their possible connotations. By the time they reached the car Rufus' fury seemed to have abated a little, reduced to a low glowering simmer. Approaching the passenger door he yanked it open with unnecessary aggression while Elena scampered around to the driver's side. Just before entering the vehicle he looked up, catching her eye from across the car roof. The narrow-eyed look he flashed her was both aggressive and defensive at the same time, almost daring her to say something about what had just occurred. Elena just looked back, wide-eyes giving away some distress but nonetheless holding his stare. A second later Rufus had ducked down into the car breaking eye contact as he did so. Following suit Elena closed the door behind her and sat motionless behind the wheel. There was quiet within the car for a moment, neither of them speaking. Then, reaching forward Elena turned the key of the ignition, the sound of the revving motor drowning out the silence.

_AU note: Why are my chapters getting so long of late? Takes me so much longer to publish them... Anyways, hope you enjoyed this latest instalment. 'Til next time folks!_


	15. Chapter 15

_AU note: Okay, I'm putting my hands up now and admitting to it before one of you guys catches me out. Anyone who's read their Bronte will no doubt recognise the latter half of this chapter as it's a blatant rip-off from 'Jane Eyre'. Sorry but it's one of my favourite scenes of the whole book and I just couldn't resist, it fitted so perfectly! _

_PS. Some of you lovely readers have said you think I've been too mean of late on poor Elena. To that I can only reply- HA!, ha hah ha hah ha! *Cackles malevolently for the next thirty minutes*_

"It's about a day's walk away," Gabriella said, pointing with a delicate finger at an unmarked region on the map, located just east of Rocket Town, "not much to look at really, just a few decrepit looking rigs."

Rufus stared down at the old regional maps spread out across the table in the Ingham's drawing room. It was the day after their eventful visit to Rocket Town, the morning sunlight filtering through the window illuminating the faded paper set out before the President and his hosts. From across the table Elena also looked down at the spot Gabriella indicated. The map Ingham had pulled up from his library looked positively ancient, so much so that she was almost surprised to see Rocket Town even marked on it. The area in question looked to be desert, a large blank area of the map devoid of any contours or features.

"Can one reach it by road?" Rufus asked.

"If one knows the way yes. You will need a guide."

Glancing across Elena caught Rufus' small amused smile before he looked up into Gabriella's dark eyes.

"And how does one get a guide around these parts?"

"You ask- nicely."

Her boldness was almost shocking to Elena. It had taken Elena days if not weeks of travelling alongside the President before she had even _started_ to build up the nerve to answer back to him, a practice that still left her oddly breathless and light headed on occasion. Gabriella seemed to take it as second nature, so assured was she of her equal status to Rufus. Elena would maybe not have minded so much if she too held the same opinion but what little admiration she held for Gabriella had vanished long ago. For all the woman's showiness and proud beauty she was no longer even close to being Rufus' equal in the Turk's eyes.

The man in question however showed nothing like the same disgust Elena was experiencing internally, instead he inclined his head towards Gabriella, smiling gracefully as he did so.

And _that _by far was the most vexing thing about the whole situation! For all his over-sized ego surely Rufus could not be flattered by such flagrant bare-faced flirtations! Surely he was too intelligent to be duped so easily? But then again, here he was accepting Gabriella's offer, however impractical, of acting as guide for the day. Was that really all it took? A pretty face and a well endowed figure? Without really meaning to Elena smiled to herself wryly- no, of course not, a fortune in land ownership and potential oil revenues no doubt buoyed Gabriella's cause.

"Capital idea!" Ingham's voice resonated like a bell across the living room, shaking Elena from her thoughts, "we'll all go- turn it into a right proper little expedition!"

"I'm not sure we'd all fit comfortably into the car." Rufus commented, his face scrunching up with displeasure at the thought.

"What? Nonsense!" Ingham said, paying no heed to the reluctance in the President's voice, "We can take my old 4x4, better on these blasted roads anyhow!"

Shoulders sagging a fraction in defeat Rufus exhaled softly. To his side Gabriella chuckled lightly, causing Rufus to slide his gaze over towards her. Catching his eyes the brunette flashed him a coquettish smile, shaking her head in mock sympathy at the folly of her father.

***

The oil derrick was as dry and isolated as its location on the map had suggested. There really was nothing else around for miles, just a long expanse of dusty wasteland bordered by a series of low-rising hills. The derrick itself was just a single rig, its timber frame already looking worn and tired despite the fact that it could only be a year or so old at the most. Driving up to the rig Elena clocked a small sagging hut built from rusting corrugated iron, a lone truck parked half in the shadows of the building.

"You see, there really is nothing to it." Gabriella exclaimed, jumping gracefully from the vehicle. She pirouetted once around to take in the dry lonely landscape, circling her arms as she did so to emphasise her point. Dressed in light khaki fabric she once again appeared immune to the almost oppressive heat from the desert sun while Elena perspired uncomfortably under her uniform.

"Is this really what you have planned for my land Shinra?" Ingham whined disapprovingly raising a hand to shield his eyes from the glare as he squinted up at the oil rig, "You really think there's money in this?"

Stepping lightly out onto the flat sandy road Rufus made no comment, simply looking around him with slow expressionless sweeps of the head. Elena in the mean time focused her attention on the parked truck she had noted on the way into the derrick. Though by no means in prime condition the vehicle did not share the same wasted, abandoned appearance as the rest of the site, it looked to be still in use- was someone else already there? As if on cue the door to the rusting shack opened with a loud protesting squeak, causing all sets of eyes to snap around immediately to see a small figure emerge.

"What the devil?!" Ingham exclaimed in a shocked voice while Gabriella took a hesitant step back. Elena had instinctively reached for her gun at the first creak of the door, seeing who the new addition to the group was however she allowed her stance to relax slightly. Rufus in turn simply smiled welcomingly, as if he had been expecting this meeting all along.

Brushing desert sand from her lab coat Shera made her way hesitantly towards the President.

"Good morning." He said simply when she was close enough to be within talking distance.

"Are you really here to help? " Shera asked, her voice guarded but to the point.

"Perhaps," Rufus shrugged, not in the least shaken by the abruptness of the address, "all depends on whether I consider it worth my while."

Shera's face twisted into something halfway between a smile and a grimace. Shoulders sagging a little she turned to gesture at the dormant oil rig. "It started giving us good gains initially, but after a few months the oil flow was down to a trickle then pretty much dried up entirely..."

"Not overly encouraging by any means."

"No" Shera admitted flatly.

"Have you tried prospecting in other areas?"

"No."

"Well that is where we must begin. We can start searching around Rocket Town and the neighbouring regions, see if this wasn't just an isolated pocket. Are you at all acquainted with Mr. Ingham here? Owns a whole swathe of land west of you."

Shera glanced with trepidation at Henry Ingham, acting as one whose previous encounters with the man had not been on the best of terms. Ingham merely looked back with a kind of frosty haughtiness. "Not going to bring that pilot along with you are you? I don't want that foul-mouthed individual so much as stepping foot on my property!"

"Now, now Ingham. We will of course be trying to keep everything as diplomatic as possible."

Stepping away Elena looked out across the flat planes towards the hills beyond. Minutes passed, the conversations of the others filtering down to nothing but a background drone as she concentrated on keeping watch, the only other noise coming from the dry creaking of the rig's timbers as it swayed under the occasional gust of wind. The landscape was as dull as it was unchanging however and she soon found herself sighing quietly with exasperation, wondering how long it would take for Rufus to finish tying up negotiations.

Time really seemed to drag in the hot arid air. Thus Elena couldn't really say for sure if minutes or hours had passed by before she spotted the tiny shift in the environment. A small wisp of what? Smoke? No dust, was suddenly just visible from a pass between two hills, the image shaky as it shimmered in the desert heat. Narrowing her eyes to focus her vision Elena watched as the minutes ticked by and the dust trail grew in size, the small dark speck of a vehicle starting to become discernible in the centre of it. Shifting her gaze Elena made a quick scan of the surrounding area to see if there were any other similar disturbances, but the approaching vehicle appeared to be a lone one.

Half-turning her head Elena called back over her shoulder to her employer, her voice calm but professional, "Sir."

The voices behind her petered out and with a crunch of footfalls Rufus appeared at her side, his gaze locked in the same direction as her own.

"It's coming up pretty fast." Elena murmured, eyeing the rapid progress of what she could now make out to be a truck, some heavy kind of 4x4 making its blundering way towards them.

"How far away is it?"

"Two miles, maybe less." Elena calculated.

"Hmmm," Was the only answer Rufus gave as he stepped away, eyes still lingering on the approaching car. "Does anyone know we're here?"

"Other than Highwind and the Ingham household, no."

"Probably not an ambush then." He concluded matter-of-factly, "Keep an eye on it."

Elena didn't respond but remained ready, unhappy about the wide, exposed location they found themselves in. If the occupant of the truck were indeed hostile finding cover would be near impossible, thus she disliked Rufus' almost apathetic attitude to the imminent encounter.

A few minutes later and she was able to discern that the truck was occupied by only the one individual, but an individual whose hulking mass she nevertheless recognised, steering the car angrily towards them.

Cursing under her breath Elena took a small defensive step backwards. "Sir!" she called again, more urgency in her voice this time, pulling her gun from its holster as she did so. It had been the first time she had had need to seriously draw her weapon throughout the entire duration of the trip, the heavy weight of the gun in her hand familiar, but in no ways reassuring. Behind her she heard Gabriella give a small involuntary gasp at the sight of the weapon and the danger it alluded to. If Elena had not been so focused on the situation at hand she might have allowed herself a small fleeting moment of satisfaction at the other woman's distress.

Things were happening fast now. Again she heard the sound of footfalls and Rufus was once more at her side, even as the truck came to an angry stop several yards in front of them, kicking up a cloud of dust and grit in the process.

"You'll need to move back sir." Elena said, raising her gun while still keeping her eyes fixed on the person behind the wheel.

Rufus however did the exact opposite to Elena's request, stepping forward in front of her he held up a hand, gesturing to her to lower her weapon. Elena paused before reluctantly falling back from her defensive stance, lowering her gun arm to her side but not putting the weapon away completely.

"Shoulda known it wouldn't be long before you lot started sniffing around here!" The angry, intimidating individual had already started shouting even before he had managed to fully extricate himself from the driver's cabin, slamming the truck door shut with such force that it was surprising the thing didn't fall off its hinges.

Rufus remained still and calm, one of his typical and highly aggravating smirks already set on his face.

"Cid said you'd showed up, tho' I don't think I'd've believed it 'til I'd seen it myself! You sure got a hell ofa nerve Shinra!"

Barret Wallace stopped his angry striding to pull up directly in front of Rufus, glowering down at the smaller man with barely contained fury. He held the angry scowl for a few seconds, Rufus looking up calmly in response, before dragging his eyes away and scanning the remainder of the scene.

"Brought yer lackies along too I see!" He muttered, clocking first Elena in her Turk uniform, then a rather frightened looking Ingham and his daughter. His gaze however hesitated upon taking in the fifth member of the party.

"Shera!" Barret exclaimed looking both concerned and surprised at the presence of the woman, eyes shifting suspiciously between her and the President, "you alright?"

"I'm fine Barret" Shera confirmed stepping forward meekly.

"The lady is merely showing us around the facility." Rufus spoke up primly. Barret's eyes widened in disbelief before turning to give Shera and accusatory glare.

"Wha-? Don't tell me you're helping these low lifes Shera!"

"They're here to help Barret." Shera said, almost wringing her hands with anxiety.

"_Help? _Since when did Shin-Ra ever do anything to help anyone but themselves?! Damn Shera you should know that as much as anyone!"

"I assure you she speaks the truth. Our intentions are purely honourable."

"Shin-Ra assurances don't count for shit!" Barret suddenly snapped, his voice taken on an even more aggressive note in response to Rufus' input, "They didn't count when you lot said you were gonna help North Corel putting yer god damn mako reactor next to our town. And they didn't count when you said you had the people's best interests at heart sucking all the life blood out of the planet!"

"I'm sorry you feel that way. All I can do is reiterate again that things have changed as far as the Corporation is concerned."

"Shin-Ra doesn't change! You're all a bunch of lying, cheating bastards, and _you-", _Barret raised his gun arm to point directly at Rufus, causing Elena to tense visibly,_ "_are the biggest lying, cheating scumbag of the lot! Can't trust a word that comes out of your mouth! Hell, I thought after WEAPON had finished kicking ten kinds of shit out of ya you would've at least had the decency to crawl down whatever hole you could find and stay there! 'Stead first chance yer get yer poking around, looking for Jenova's f*ing head and setting those three silver haired freaks on us!"

"I assure you we had no knowledge-"

"I already told ya your assurances don't mean shit in my books!" Barret almost spat, his anger evidently growing in intensity. "You set 'em loose, going around stirring up trouble. They kidnapped my little girl for Gaia's sake, even while you were out negotiating a price for Jenova!"

"There was no negotiation about it. Kadaj threatened us same as he did with everyone else. We suffered casualties same as you."

"But yer still didn't learn did ya! You're still here trying to worm yer way back to the top whatever way you damn well can!" Barret was practically shouting now, shaking his gun arm at Rufus' unflinching face in emphasis to every sentence, "Well let me tell ya now it ain't gonna happen like that. WEAPON may not've been able to finish ya, nor Kadaj and his cronies, but maybe you won't be so lucky with whatever you find yerself up against next!"

"And that something would be you would it?"

"Might just be, yeah!"

"Fine," Rufus said with a shrug, "makes no difference to me. I think I know your tactics well enough by now. How about I build a new oil rig then you can have a go at blowing it up. It'll be just like old times!"

"Why I oughtta-!"

*click*

Barret's incensed face froze at the delicate sound, eyes widening in both recognition and shock.

Across from him Rufus remained perfectly motionless, eyes still trained attentively on his addressor, though the small smirk on his face did grow a fraction at the noise. Swivelling his eyes towards the origin of the sound Barret found himself face to face with Elena's gun, held out straight-armed by the Turk mere inches from his face.

"I'm going to have to ask you to step away from the President," she said, her expression set to one of grim determination.

Barret continued to look stunned for a moment longer before turning his face back towards Rufus, his expression morphing to one of distain.

"Hiding behind yer lackies as usual?" he half-hissed though in a much more restrained voice than the one he had been using moments before.

Rufus made no reply, just tilted his chin slightly, the same half-grin designed to infuriate the other man still firmly in place. Barret kept up the staring match with the President a few seconds longer before, with a slow exhalation of breath, taking a step back.

"Not worth wastin' the bullets on anyhow." He muttered sourly, "Don't think this ain't over Shinra!" Turning around he began to stomp back towards his truck.

Stepping forward Rufus positioned himself in-line with Elena again, hands clasped in front of him as he watched Barret's retreat.

"You know, it would be nice if we could one day have these little exchanges with AVALANCHE without one party inevitably ending up threatening to shoot the other." He murmured this quiet enough for only the Turk to hear as they both stared straight ahead.

Elena inclined her head fractionally in response, a small grin pulling at her lips even while her eyes and gun remained trained on Barret as he climbed back into the driver's seat and started gunning the engine.

"Maybe you could stop bringing your shotgun to meetings sir, as a goodwill gesture."

"Hmph, or trigger happy Turks."

Elena retorted with another smile, replacing her gun in its holster as Barret's truck started to speed away from the scene, "If you like I could leave you to just negotiate next time one of your business acquaintances waves a gun at you."

Rufus turned his head to look at her, a wry smile lighting up his face, "Well I must say you took your fair time to muster a response just now. Tell me, how many insults or threats do I have to endure before you see fit to come to my aid?"

"I didn't realise you were in need of any assistance sir." Elena answered with mock-innocence.

"Like Shiva you didn't! Why I bet you just enjoy the experience of sitting back and watching me suffer!" This accusation, however teasingly put still had the effect of making Elena's eyes widen with surprise, being as it were an almost exact same charge as the one she had thought Rufus guilty of only the other day.

Rufus' eyes narrowed with suspicion, though the playful smile remained on his face-

"Or maybe you simply agreed with what that hot-tempered buffoon was spouting- insolent Turk, admit it!"

"I couldn't possibly comment sir." Elena replied, the amusement in her voice bubbling to the surface.

Rufus tilted his chin upwards, looking down at her with pursed lips for a moment before answering.

"Hmm well, despite your somewhat lax attitude to the whole situation I am still glad you were with me just now."

Reaching out a hand he placed it for a brief moment on Elena's upper arm, the teasing expression fading from his eyes as they locked onto hers. "You did well Elena."

Elena looked back dumbstruck for a second before struggling to offer a somewhat breathless reply, "Thank you, sir."

Rufus smiled, holding her gaze for a fraction longer before taking away his hand and turning back towards the rest of the party. Flustered, Elena bowed her head, reaching up to tuck away a loose strand of hair while attempting to regain her composure.

Behind them Gabriella watched the scene in silence. Her large dark eyes taking in Rufus' hand placed lightly upon the Turk's arm, the confiding way he bent his head towards her, the shy smile he received in return...

***

Later, after having returned to the Ingham household, the party split-up in preparation for dinner. Keen to milk his new illustrious association for all it was worth Ingham had already taken the liberty of inviting a few of his more choice business acquaintances and friends along for the evening, planning to show off his guest to them.

The prospect of yet another dull, drawn out evening watching over the so-called cream of the West Continent however did little to dampen Elena's spirits. Instead she found herself oddly restless as she waited alone in her guest room. Pacing the length of the floor a couple of times she eventually forced herself to take a seat at the dressing table. Studying the face that looked back at her she automatically reached for the brush on the countertop, dragging it through her short blonde crop a few times until her fine hair fell around her face smooth and separated. For a fleeting moment she considered putting on some of the make-up she had worn at Forbes' party but almost instantly dismissed the notion as silly and childish.

Sitting at the mirror she allowed herself to recount the events of the past couple of days. So much had happened but one scene, one exchange in particular drew her thoughts like a magnet. Without fully realising she was doing it Elena reached out and touched the place on her arm where the President's own hand had briefly settled. The first time he had touched her since the night of Forbes' party...

Up until that point Elena had not realised how much Rufus' approval meant to her, how strongly she had grown to value his good opinion. A smile, a _genuine _smile, his words of praise however brief, were made all the more precious by their rarity leaving her feeling almost giddy with elation. Even as she grinned somewhat goofily at herself however a small warning voice came whispering in her ear.

'_Don't do this,' _it scolded in a low, maternal voice as if speaking to an errant child, _'don't do this again.'_

Again? Do what again? Despite her best attempts at blindsiding herself however Elena could not completely succeed. The parallels were all too obvious even for one in denial, the signs and emotions all too familiar from past experiences, from past infatuations...

What was it with her and men in authority?

No, she thought suddenly, jutting out her bottom lip stubbornly at her reflection, no, not necessarily! It was only natural for her to want to impress her boss, to please him, that after all was a sign she was doing her job well! Anything else was just her over thinking the situation as per usual, spooking herself over things that weren't really there. Tutting at her own paranoia she straightened the lapels of her jacket and stood up to make her way downstairs.

***

The conversation throughout the evening was dominated by Ingham's recounting of their desert stand-off with the gun-armed mad man. By the time the port and coffee had been handed around and the clock approached midnight Ingham was on to his twelfth round of narrative, each description having grown more flamboyant and exaggerated in its details to the point where he had convinced both himself and half his guests that they had been but a hair's breadth away from meeting a grisly end.

"But really, weren't you scared?!" Ingham's wife turned to ask Rufus who had been standing patiently by as his host described his courageous confrontation with the mad man.

"Not really," Rufus answered with a shrug somewhat deflating Ingham's narrative in the process, "other than spouting a lot of hot air I don't think the man had any real intentions. Besides which we had Elena to step in if things got too heated."

At this mention Ingham's wife peeked across the President's shoulder to the lone Turk, once again positioned in her customary stance a little ways off from the rest of the party. "But still," she whispered lowering her voice a fraction to take on a conspiratorial air, "is it really safe for you, the President, to be travelling around such hostile places with just the one bodyguard? Wouldn't you be better off with a full military escort?"

"Turks have always been the ones to protect the heads of the company." Rufus stated simply, "They're quite capable, and renowned for their loyalty."

Given that Rufus had his back to her Elena allowed herself a small proud smile at the compliment. Rufus considered her loyal, well of course he was right- she would never let down the company, never betray it...never betray him.

"Wish I could say the same thing about my workers!" Ingham chuckled, "What's your secret Rufus? Do you really mean to say there's never once been a breach of conduct within the ranks?"

"Oh, I wouldn't go so far as that!" Rufus smiled languidly, "Nothing ever too heinous though, just the occasional disciplinary.. wobble."

Elena blinked, wondering if her altercation with Rufus over the matter of her wearing a dress was one he considered a 'disciplinary wobble.'

Rufus paused before adding to his own thoughts, "... there was one case of serious misdemeanour that I can think of. That was back in my father's presidency however."

"Really," Gabriella perked up at the admission, appearing keen to know more, "what happened?"

Rufus turned his head to look at her, "It was several years ago now. One of the Turks was discovered to have aided the escape of a couple of fugitives, ex-military personnel wanted by the company."

Elena lowered her head a fraction. She knew the incident to which Rufus was referring. It had been before her time but she had learnt details of it from Reno and Rude, Tseng had never spoken of the case. The Turk had been friends with one of the fugitives and had chosen to let them go rather than give them up to what would have certainly been a military execution. Elena was unsure what she thought of her predecessor's conduct; Reno and Rude spoke of her with the sad regret of a lost colleague rather than with the bitter angst of those who had had a traitor in their ranks. When she thought about it Elena could empathise with the girl's dilemma, but at the same time orders were orders, and as Rufus had said the Turks were meant to be loyal- failure of duty, especially a deliberate failure, was unthinkable in Elena's eyes.

"This Turk... was she female?" Gabriella asked inquisitively.

Rufus cocked his head to the side curiously, "Well yes, matter of fact I believe she was."

Gabriella smiled smugly, "Thought so. You know sometimes I wonder whether a woman is truly suited to a life on the battle line."

Elena's shoulders tensed slightly at the throw-away comment, though her face showed no sign of displeasure. From her location she could not make out Rufus' expression, though his voice when he spoke next sounded mildly amused.

"Do you speak on behalf of your entire sex Gabriella, or just yourself?"

Gabriella smiled primly back at him, "Women are too emotional creatures. We let our hearts rule over our heads far too often. In that respect we are not suited to being soldiers."

"Quite right," Ingham cut in over his daughter, "women as a whole can be far too temperamental. Ever tried to get one to do something she doesn't want to do, hmm? You simply can't rely on them to carry out orders."

"I don't know," Rufus replied demurely, but without the vehemence and outrage in his voice Elena would have liked him to have, "some of our most accomplished fighters have been women."

"Yes, but not your _best_ fighters." Gabriella countered, "none of your elite SOLDIERS were ever women were they?"

"Well that might just be a fault of the system my dear," Gabriella's mother suggested, "I suppose it is no easy thing for a woman to rise through the ranks of such a male dominated profession."

Gabriella shook her head, her dark curls brushing against her neck, "A women in the security services should only be allowed to go so far. Give her too much responsibility and there's sure to be consequences, if she doesn't end up disobeying orders she'll start making eyes at the boss or something equally inappropriate."

Elena's eyes widened before seeming to glaze over, her whole body tensing as if trying to absorb a sudden punch to the solar plexus. Without wanting to, without fully intending to she found herself flitting her downcast gaze upwards to glance for the briefest of moments in Rufus' direction, apprehensive to see his response. To her shock and surprise she raised her eyes only to be met with a pair of blue ones already contemplating her. Upon making eye contact however Rufus quickly bowed his head and looked away, frowning as he did so.

"Really Gabriella, you surprise me." He murmured in an offhand tone of voice, turning his back towards Elena once again.

Without quite realising it Elena had bunched her hands up into tight fists against her sides, her nails digging into the flesh of her palms To be forced to endure such open and deliberate ridicule, gods it was almost more than she could bear! To her disgust she felt her eyes start to well up with tears- it wasn't so much the humiliation she was experiencing but the sharp sting of disappointment. Why didn't Rufus stand up for her? He had done so in front of Cid so why not now? Why did he just stand back and allow her to be exposed to such insult? Did he not think it worth the effort? Or worse, did he actually agree with Gabriella's slanderous statements?

Confused and shaken by the severity of her own response Elena suddenly felt claustrophobic within the confines of the room. She had to get out, find some space to breathe, to be on her own if only long enough to sort out her head. The conversation had moved on by that time but she was past following the new subject. Braving a glance once more in Rufus' direction she found the President still with his back to her talking with Gabriella and her mother. Grabbing the opportunity Elena stepped away and moved silently towards the door, the click of the latch making barely any sound in amongst the prattle.

Closing the door softly behind her she stepped out into the cool stillness of the landing, a wide shadowy corridor with the broad staircase leading up to the floor above. Pausing for a moment to listen to the happy chatter of voices resonating through the wooden door, Elena eventually stepped forward and started making her way up the staircase, her footsteps slow and heavy. Halfway up she heard the sound of the voices swell as the door opened a second time to let someone out, carrying on regardless she chose not to look back to see who had followed her from the room.

"Elena?"

The calm deep voice froze Elena to the spot. Smoothing the despondent gait from her face she turned slowly around.

"Why did you leave the room?"

She didn't answer; Rufus contemplated her from his position at the foot of the staircase, a small frown creasing his forehead.

"Come back into the room."

Elena shook her head, "No sir," she said in a strained half-whisper.

Rufus cocked his head to the side, "Why not?" he responded in an equally low tone.

Elena pinched her lips tight, her humiliation at the hands of Gabriella was obvious, he can't have missed it. Yet at the same time she wasn't prepared to acknowledge it out right and openly to him. "I'm tired sir" she finally said.

Rufus ascended the staircase, reducing the distance between the two of them to just a couple of steps. Closer to her now, he took in Elena's large watery eyes.

"You're crying." He spoke the words as a statement rather than a question.

"No sir" Elena stared defiantly back, partly wanting to turn her face away from his but at the same time afraid to show any sign of weakness.

Rufus studied her a second longer, "Come back into the room with me," he repeated.

"I'm tired sir."

Rufus frowned again, his voice taking on an annoyed edge, "You're supposed to stay close to me."

Catching the irritation in his voice Elena's own gaze hardened, angry determination setting her features- that was all that mattered to him, keeping up appearances, his precious etiquette,_ her _feelings be damned! Seeing the sudden hostility in her countenance Rufus seemed momentarily taken aback, his own eyes widened with questioning surprise.

"You'll be fine without me sir." She eventually said in a clipped voice, "Your hosts will be waiting for you."

Finally dropping her stare, Elena turned around and continued her ascent of the staircase. Rufus watched her with growing vexation, "Elena!" he half-yelled when she had nearly reached the top, "ELENA!"

His frown deepened as the Turk continued to ignore him.

"Alright fine!" he called to Elena's rapidly receding back, "I'll excuse you for tonight, but I expect you to be present at all future gatherings, for the duration!... _Do you hear me?!"_

Gaining no response Rufus stood there impotently for a moment before twisting sharply on his heel and descending the staircase, cursing angrily under his breath as he did so.

Pushing the door open with a shove he stepped back into the drawing room, head bent down moodily.

"Ah there you are Rufus," Gabriella said brightly, looking up from her place within a small circle gathered around a polished table. "We were just about to start up a little card game, care to join us?"

Slow to respond to the question, the Shin-Ra President lifted his head to face Gabriella only after a few seconds of gloomy floor contemplation. Frowning he shook his head and turned to leave the room again.

"Thank you but I think I'll retire." He said in a low voice, not even offering a conciliatory smile as he began to walk away from the surprised eyes of Gabriella, "I'm in no mood for anymore games tonight."

_AU note: Heh-heh, oh my *coughs*, ain't I a bitch? To lodge any complaints or general bad feelings please click on the button below! _


	16. Chapter 16

_AU note: Aargghhh! If my life continues at this pace I will be dead before autumn! A thousand apologies people- can you forgive me?! It's not that I haven't wanted to update, just that I simply haven't had the time. The past month has been crammed with events- walking holidays in Cornwall, hen weekends in Europe, family gatherings, birthday parties, summer balls, it just goes on and on! _

_I'm afraid this chapter is a little shorter and a little more rushed than I would like, however if I don't update now I won't have another chance until July. Tomorrow I'm off to Glastonbury Festival, whoop! If I survive the inevitable torrent of mud and alcohol I'll try to post again soon!_

_Milvus_

If there was one thing the President of the Shin-Ra Corporation hated above all others it was the feeling of losing control.

It was the morning after Elena's dramatic exit following Gabriella's tirade and the Turk still had not come down. Very unlike her and quite unprofessional!

For a short while he had considered going upstairs and hammering on her door, forcing her out of her hiding place. After all how dare she avoid him! Still he remained rooted to the spot, alone in Ingham's study, nothing but dust motes for company, swirling and winking at him as they danced across the early morning sunlight.

Yesterday his yelling had made no impact and she had walked away regardless. Though he would not admit it, even to himself, part of him did not wish to risk bruising his ego a second time. Instead he resigned himself to staring out of the window, prepared to wait with indignant patience until she came to her senses.

Scowling Rufus shifted his weight from one foot to the other. His leg was hurting more than usual this morning and he found himself more heavily dependent on his cane for support. The pain did little to help focus his train of thoughts, nor lift the general mood of irritation that had settled over him.

Gabriella had overstepped the mark. Even Rufus, with his own history of intimidation, had been a little surprised by the severity of her backhanded swipe at his employee. In a strange way he took a certain satisfaction from her behaviour- no matter how much Gabriella would have liked to dismiss Elena as just another inconsequential member of the serving class, there was still something about the young Turk that prevented her from doing so. Some quality that provoked jealously and spite in the other woman.

And quite right too.

But how Gabriella acted, how petit and vindictive she grew was of little interest to Rufus. What took up the majority of his focus were the reactions of the other woman- a study made all the more perplexing, and increasingly infuriating, by its complete lack of observations.

Of course Elena had responded in a way to Gabriella. Distancing herself from the rest of the party during any social gathering, or leaving the room so suddenly the night before had both been a case in point. But even these had been acts of evasion, ways of avoiding given any true reactions or emotions.

He did not like to dwell on _why_ he so wished for some kind of action on the part of the Turk, any attempt to pin down his motivations only resulted in an unsettling, evasive sensation that he preferred to leave be for the time being. All he knew was that he wanted some kind of reaction, some sign that she was affected by all this, that she felt something...

The sudden announcement of the study door opening roused him from his contemplations.

_Finally! _

Raising his eyes in a deliberately casual fashion Rufus could not help the slight flicker of disappointment that passed across his face upon perceiving who the new arrival was.

"Not disturbing am I?" Gabriella asked gaily as she sauntered into the room, "What are you doing sulking in the library at this time of day anyway?"

"Who said I was sulking?" Rufus responded with a tight smile.

Gabriella shrugged nonchalantly as she gazed around the dusty confines. "Oh, no one in particular," she answered airily before turning her face to look at him directly, "Although, after your shortness last night I would not be at all surprised to find you in a bad mood!"

Rufus turned his head away from her to look out of the window, his smile growing as he did so. "I assure you you find me quite the contrary." He lied.

Gabriella lifted a sceptical eyebrow before casting her eye about the room once more. "Where is your Turk this morning?"

"She hasn't come down yet."

"Oh?" Rufus kept his eyes firmly fixed looking out of the study window, he did not have to look at her to know the elated, triumphant expression that must have been passing across Gabriella's face right then.

"The way she scurried off like that.. I hope I did nothing to upset her." She prodded.

Rufus gave a small, almost sardonic twist of the lips.

"Please, do not concern yourself with my staff," he replied, finally looking away from the glass to meet Gabriella's searching eyes, "I can deal with them well enough on my own."

"Indeed," she answered with a weighted smile, "why, you were most quick to chase after her..."

He shrugged but did not appear wholly unaffected by the intonation.

"To desert her post like that with no warning, I sought an explanation was all." He paused to consider Gabriella's countenance, "Why Gabriella, what do _you_ infer from it?"

"Me?" the young woman's eyes widened briefly at such a direct address before smiling bemusedly, "Why, I infer nothing myself. I am sure your motives are irreproachable... I would be more concerned about what others might think."

Rufus tilted his head to the side inquisitively, his voice laced with false amusement when he spoke. "And what pray are others inferring about me?"

It was Gabriella's turn to pause, looking away with an appearance of sudden shyness.

"Honestly Rufus, how am I meant to respond to such blunt addresses?" She said in a short, huffy voice, "Truly, I couldn't say _what_ people think."

Rufus did not take his eyes off her but continued to stare in a fashion that was somehow both intense yet devoid of emotion.

"Come now Gabriella, let us not be coy with one another."

Gabriella's eyes flickered upwards to take in his gaze.

"Only that you are attempting to rebuild your empire from the ground up single-handedly."

Rufus looked away, a scowl on his face.

"They think it madness." He stated bitterly.

"No"

"Foolish then."

"Perhaps," she conceded, "You must admit it is a wonder that you should attempt such a feat on your own... Would you not find it easier to accept some help?"

"That is what my employees are for." Rufus answered dismissively.

"Really Rufus, you are most surprising- I would never have expected _you_ of all people to put such blind faith in your workers. It shocked enough during the conversation last night, and here you are doing it again!"

"Not all my workers of course, far from it." Rufus clarified, "There are many I would not trust as far as I could throw them... Still, there are a select few who have been through a lot for the company and still remain loyal. I think it is fair to say that they have proven themselves."

Gabriella raised her eyebrows, a thoughtful look passing over her face as she made a show of considering Rufus' explanation.

"Impressive words I'm sure, but ones I cannot wholly agree with. In my experience employees are only as loyal as their next pay check. They can still desert you at the drop of a hat when the time comes!" She shook her head decidedly, "No, better to surround yourself with friends, _companions_." She paused before looking coyly up at him through heavy set lashes, "Tell me Rufus, is there _anyone_ close to you? Any friends? Or only employees?"

The President's face had taken on a frosty expression while listening to Gabriella's speech, lips drawn into a tight, colourless line. Several seconds' silence passed once she had finished during which time he continued to study her grim faced. Finally his eyes floated off her to stare distractedly out of the window again as the beginnings of a frown furrowed his brow.

"Can't one be-" he stopped short abruptly, face grimacing as if at some internal folly. Mentally shaking himself he turned back sharply to face Gabriella again.

"So whom would you recommend for the role?" He demanded, notes of disdain and mockery barely veiled within the question.

Scowling Gabriella twisted away from him, crossing her arms across her chest defiantly. "I don't know why you insist on acting so bullish today." She retorted.

"Not yourself perhaps?"

Even with her back to him Gabriella was unable to hide her small start at the question.

"... I wouldn't presume-" she began falteringly, bowing her head in a display of meekness.

"Why not?" The question was framed with a sharp bitter edge to it.

Turning back again she looked him suspiciously in the eye, unsure of where he was going with this.

"One cannot deny it would be a most fortuitous... union for both parties." She took a hesitant step forward, eyeing him for any sign of his underlying thoughts or emotions. Though he gave none he continued to return her gaze steadily. Taking this as encouragement Gabriella's face alighted with sudden eagerness. "Oh just think of the possibilities Rufus!" She closed the distance between them, grasping his arm in a sudden bold gesture, her zeal all too apparent within her greedy eyes.

For his part Rufus looked down at her dispassionately, making no move to either return her embrace or extricate himself from it. After a moment his lips contorted into a small smile, though there was no amusement in his voice when he spoke.

"I recognise a lot of myself in you Gabriella." He said softly, studying her large sparkling eyes as he did so, "Perhaps we deserve one another."

At that he heard the click of the study door opening once more and he knew Elena had walked in on the scene.

Still not removing himself from his proximity to Gabriella he allowed his eyes to travel up slowly, casually.

Achieving what he wanted was not the satisfying victory he had imagined it to be. The shocked, distressed look he saw on the Turk's face only served to aggravate the flittering, disconcerting sensation that plagued the back of his mind, intensifying it from an irritable buzz to an angry, heated drone. Rufus turned away feeling humiliated under her gaze.

"You're late Elena." He said in a slow, controlled voice.

"Sorry sir."

***

The afternoon found the Ingham household and its guests gathered in the large central living space of the house. Nothing had been said of the events of that morning by any party and a still whispering tension seemed to flit restlessly across the room, nothing to accompany it save the rustle of newspapers and occasional superfluous chatter, mostly from the part of the two elder Inghams.

The sound of a handle turning heralded the entrance of one of the servants, the same tall, pompous individual who had summoned Elena from her room the day before. Catching his master's eye the man stepped forward apologetically.

"I must apologise for the interruption sir, but there is a young lady in the drawing room."

"Come again? A young lady?" Ingham parroted, "What does she want?"

"Actually sir, it is President Rufus whom she wishes to see."

Rufus looked up at the mention of his name.

"Me?" He asked calmly, folding his newspaper in the process, "did she give a name?"

"Yes sir, a Miss-" the butler paused to refer to a card in his hand, "Kis-a-ra-gi."

Rufus' brow furrowed, "Kisaragi? As in Godo Kisaragi, the Wutanian Lord?"

"She's his daughter."

All heads turned towards the new voice, where Elena sat nervously in one of the high-back chairs.

"You don't say," Rufus responded, looking over at the Turk, "and what would Lord Godo's daughter want with me?"

Elena blinked back at him, momentarily shaken by the President's apparent ignorance. How could Rufus not know who Yuffie was? But, then again, she reconsidered after a moment, why _would_ he know? Rufus' face-to-face interactions with AVALANCHE had been sporadic at best, focused mainly on the more prominent individuals of the group such as Cloud and Barret. It was more than within Rufus' capabilities to ignore the lesser background members. Then there was the evacuation of Midgar just after Diamond WEAPON's strike and Hojo's treachery, but of course Rufus had been in no condition to recognise anyone during that time. For Elena on the otherhand her past encounters and shared experiences with this particular member of AVALANCHE were all too memorable.

"She works for the WRO." she stated after a pause.

"Ah," Rufus responded, exasperated at the continuous pursuit by Reeve and his cronies.

"... And she was also a member of AVALANCHE during the meteor crisis." Elena added hesitantly.

"_What? _The terrorist group? In my house?" Ingham sounded aghast as he half-started from his chair.

Rufus scowled in Elena's direction, though she wasn't sure if his anger was directed at herself for revealing this disruptive piece of information, or at Yuffie for putting him in such an awkward situation.

"My apologies Ingham," he said, rising up from his chair, "rest assured both you and your family are perfectly safe. I will deal with this as quickly as possible. Elena!" With a sharp gesture of his hand Rufus beckoned her to accompany him out of the room.

"What the hell does Reeve think he's playing at?" Rufus hissed the moment the two of them were outside, "hounding me at my office is one thing but sending his lackeys to the homes of people I am a guest of? Why it's simply intolerable!"

"Yes sir." Elena answered as she kept pace with Rufus' angry stride. Despite the speed of his footsteps she could not help but note the heaviness of his steps, the extra demand placed on the cane- was his leg hurting him again?

"And another damn AVALANCHE member as well! How many more of these people have I got to deal with? Next thing you know I'll have Cloud Strife himself banging on my door!"

By this time they had nearly reached the drawing room. Pausing at the door Rufus turned to address Elena.

"What did you say her name was again?"

"Yuffie."

"That's unfortunate." he sniffed before opening the door.

Despite it being over two years since they had last met Yuffie hadn't changed much as far as Elena could tell. Standing awkwardly in the middle of the room the young ninja still retained the thin, gawky appearance of a teenager, her bony knees and elbows protruding out of a costume that consisted of little more than a pair of hot pants and a blue tanktop, the latter hiked up via some strange over-the-shoulder buckle strap to reveal a pale midriff.

Upon entering the room Rufus pulled up sharply, his eyes making a slow deliberate scan up and down Yuffie, taking in her appearance.

"Tell me," he clipped in a matter-of-fact voice, "is it a custom for all female members of AVALANCHE to wear as damn near little clothing as possible?"

"Wha-?" Yuffie gawped back, momentarily wrong-footed by this unexpected verbal attack.

Behind Rufus Elena tried not to smack her palm against her forehead. What in Gaia had she been thinking to allow Rufus and Yuffie to be in the same room?! She could already tell this was not going to go well.

"Never mind," Rufus said in a dismissive voice, "let's just get straight to the point shall we? There are people waiting for me. What do you want?"

Yuffie blinked, obviously trying to adjust to Rufus' barely veiled irritation. Glancing nervously behind him she caught sight of Elena and recognition flashed across her face. Elena in turn looked away in embarrassment.

"Well... you see..." Yuffie frowned to herself as she tried to rearrange the words in her head. Opposite her Rufus hiked an exasperated eyebrow, causing the young girl to first blanche and then glower determidly back. "So here's the deal."She said, finally gathering momentum, "I'm helping out Reeves these days, kinda acting as a WRO-"

"My bodyguard has informed me of all this already," Rufus interrupted smartly, "I repeat- what do you want?"

Yuffie scowled, her angry eyes again flicking briefly over in Elena's direction before continuing.

"Okay blondie, you want it straight? Fine! You've got some information we need, I know you do so don't go denying it! Now I know we kicked your ass and everything during the whole meteor thing but I figure it's time to let bygones be bygones. If anything you owe us for all the crap you stirred up!"

Rufus' expression was unreadable as he stared intently at the young ninja all the way through her speech. There was a few seconds' silence once she had finished before he spoke.

"...Did Reeve send you?"

"Wha-?... Well, no not exactly. I knew he was looking for you and when Cid said you were staying here, well, I figured I'd take the initiative! So what's it gonna be?"

"I still don't follow what you expect of me."

"Do I have to spell it out? Gawd you're as blonde as Cloud! Hand over the Deepground Project reports!"

"And under what authority are you issuing this demand?"

"The authority of- you owe us one!"

"I owe no such thing!"

"Ha, yeah right! Try telling the people of Wutai that, or Barret's town, or anyone who knew anyone in Sector 7!"

Rufus' mouth tightened but he said nothing, still glaring icily back at Yuffie.

"Well if not for us, then do it for the planet at least!" Yuffie attempted to compromise, moving her hands to her hips in an exasperated gesture.

Rufus cocked his head to the side, "I'm afraid you've lost me again. What possible interest could the planet have in all this?"

"How the hell should I know? Jeeze, you're the one with all the info! We're the WRO, it's _gotta_ be important for the planet!"

It was Rufus' turn to glower, his eyes narrowing as he looked darkly back at the impetuous girl, "I am beginning to have very grave doubts about the WRO in general." He said, his words slow and deliberate, "what little experience I have had with its members has been less than commendable. I begin to find myself agreeing with Gabriella, what in Gaia does an organisation claiming to be about regenesis want with guns and airships?"

He took a step forward, his voice rising in pace and volume, "You people come in here demanding information, intimidating my staff, threatening anyone who steps on your turf- why the whole thing smacks of familiarity!" He tossed his head disdainfully, "They say nature abhors vacuums, well it looks as though the WRO is fitting nicely into the void left by my old administration!"

Yuffie stared disbelievingly at Rufus, her mouth moving up and down wordlessly for a few seconds like a fish.

"You- you _jerk!_" she eventually managed, her young face suddenly flushing with anger, "we pulled you out of the wreckage of your own building. You'd be dead if it weren't for us!"

"This conversation is over." Rufus said dismissively, turning to leave, "I suggest you tell Reeve _not_ to go knocking on my door again anytime soon."

Elena quickly opened the door to allow the President to stalk angrily out of the room. Looking up she briefly caught Yuffie's anguished gaze before following.

"Make sure she is escorted off the property," Rufus said to her through gritted teeth as the pair of them made their way back down the corridor, "And don't ever make me talk to someone that irritating again!"

_AU note: Sigh, I didn't really want to introduce Yuffie into this chapter as I thought three cameos in a row was a little crass. But then I've been so long updating and am quite keen to keep the plot moving!_

_Incidentally, while doing a bit of background research I discovered that the meaning of Yuffie's last name 'Kisaragi' is 'wear more clothes'- I didn't know this at the time I wrote Rufus' comment but it does feel kinda fitting..._


	17. Chapter 17

_Au note: This chapter has been in and out more times than the Hokey Cokey!.... Is that a reference people in the US would even get? :S_

_Anyways, in the end I decided to keep it in, probably due to the fact that, out of all the chapters I've currently got on the burner, it was closest to completion._

_Enjoy!_

It hadn't been so much the proximity, nor the intimacy it alluded to, it was the expression on his face when he had seen her.

The slow, languid way he had lifted his head away from Gabriella to meet her eyes when she had entered the room. No shame, no humility at being caught in such a compromising situation. That look... that awful, deliberate look. It had appeared almost challenging, defiant, daring her to react.

Elena stood at what had become her customary spot within the Inghams' drawing room, once again observing the scene with a professional, detached air. Another night, another gathering. At that instant however she felt far from professional.

He had seen the distress on her face, she knew she had given away that much. That _she_ should be the one out of the two of them to feel most exposed at that moment! Surely it spoke measures.

'_Why so surprised?_' she questioned herself bitterly. Everyone said he was cruel, well he _was _cruel! He was as cruel and manipulative and ruthless as they made him out to be. And now he had seen her anguish, drawn it out of her with a single glance. She knew from then on it would be easy for him to do so again, and she despised herself.

Without wanting to Elena found herself turning her gaze towards the spot where he and Gabriella were standing across the other side of the room, admiring them once again as she had that first night at Forbes' party. Despite her reluctance to spy she found she could do so with relative ease, Rufus appeared to be paying little attention. Unusual for him, but maybe he was choosing to ignore her.

Good, so he had finally bored of making her interact with the rest of the group at the expense of her own humiliation. So much the better, she was glad!

The Turk couldn't make out what they were discussing from that distance but whatever it was it appeared trivial enough, Gabriella certainly seemed entertained. Rufus smiled pleasantly but even from across the room Elena could see the falseness to it, it surely had to be a dull conversation if he was being _that_ poor at concealing it!

"From what I hear, things are all but settled between the two of them."

Trying to appear aloof, Elena allowed her eyes to flicker away from her charge and towards the direction of two older women standing a little ways off. One of whom she recognised as Ingham's wife, the lady of the household. They spoke in the hushed tones of gossipers:

"...told her he thought they were made for each other. Or something to that effect."

"Really? When was this?"

"Only this morning."

"You must be thrilled!"

"Indeed, indeed... " Mrs. Ingham replied, though her look was hesitant, "..although, as a mother, .... I can't help but wish."

"What is it my dear?" Her friend questioned, voice laced with pointed concern.

"... Well, one always wants the best for one's daughter. Part of me always envisaged Gabriella with a more... able-bodied man."

"Oh but my dear! But of course, that is only natural to want to see one's child married off to a strong, healthy son-in-law,"

"Gabriella doesn't seem to mind."

"Well, she always was a very open-hearted girl."

From her eavesdropping position Elena gave a small snort.

The friend paused, as if to consider.

"... Of course, mightn't the money make up for it in some small part?" She questioned, a slight teasing note to her voice.

"What money?" Gabriella's mother retorted sharply, "Shin-Ra is at its lowest ebb for decades, everyone knows that! Henry might be besotted by all his charms but not so for me. Why, if anything I fear this union could be a step down for poor Gabriella."

Elena gritted her teeth, biting back the urge to walk over and deck Mrs. Ingham there and then. Instead she tore her attention back towards the 'happy couple.'

While she had been looking the other way a rebellious lock of hair had _somehow _managed to escape Rufus' otherwise perfectly arranged style. Vaguely, Elena followed it with her eyes, for some reason it bothered her greatly as she watched it half fall across his face.

'_Used to be redder'_ she thought to herself absently. Elena had never been sure whether it had been the result of the explosion or the geostigma that had caused the President's hair to lighten so drastically. Part of her imagined it to be the stigma, draining the pigment from his skin and hair just as it drained the life force from him. Maybe once she could have asked him about it, when they had been on better, closer terms. Who knows, he might even have answered. She supposed now she would never know.

And he did look paler...

Blinking, Elena realised what it was about the hair that gave her such anxiety.

It was the fact that he had made no move to adjust it.

The President's vanity was legendary; the spotless suits, the immaculate hair. Elena still couldn't recollect the moment she had stained his coat with her wineglass without experiencing horrid fluttering sensations in her stomach. She had, in her more spiteful frames of mind, compared his preening to that of a peacock. But now another analogy sprung to the forefront as she watched that unattended lock of hair—that of a sick bird.

Nothing appeared superficially wrong. He maybe looked a touch paler than normal true, but Rufus always appeared pale in his white suits. Possibly a slight stiffness to his stance. And he _had _been in pain of late, Elena knew that much from the greater frequency of scowls and grimaces, the added heaviness to his step only a matter of hours ago when she had escorted him to his ill-fated meeting with Yuffie.

'_It's not your concern,' _she chided herself mentally, _'He wouldn't thank you for your intervention... Besides, it's probably just your imagination.'_

Rufus was an expert at putting on masks. He could appear avidly attentive to someone he considered the height of dullness. He could be warm and considerate to a person he fully intended to stab in the back. Elena knew this. She had been around him too long not to have recognised this trait in him. So the fact that she could _see _the cracks, the tension in his face, the pain flickering behind his eyes, worried her now more than anything.

It never occurred to her that maybe she was simply growing better at reading him.

Biting her lip Elena made a decision. Moving forward she negotiated her way through the crowded room to reach her employer. Rufus was in conversation with Gabriella- the latter dressed in yet another elegant evening dress, this one of a rich midnight blue, Gabriella looked stunning, her eyes flashing as she talked animatedly to the President, matching her bright laughs to his smiles.

Upon seeing Elena approach and hover uncertainly behind Rufus' shoulder Gabriella's face broke into a slight disdainful scowl, "I think you might be wanted Rufus" she said in a curt voice. Following the train of her eyes Rufus turned to face his employee, taking a deep breath Elena took a final step forward, no backing out now.

"Yes Elena, what is it?" Rufus asked.

Elena scrutinised his face for a moment before answering, "Sir, I—there's a matter of business I need to discuss with you."

Gabriella glowered impatiently as if to say _'can't it wait?' _Ignoring her Elena continued to look steadily at Rufus, hoping to convey some understanding to him through her eyes. For his part Rufus returned her gaze, holding her look in silence before blinking and turning slowly back to Gabriella. "Will you excuse me a minute?" He asked politely, an apologetic smile crossing his face. The other woman smiled and nodded lightly in return, having little choice in the matter.

Turning around Elena started to make her way towards the exit with Rufus following behind her, focusing hard on keeping her steps slow and casual. At the door she stepped aside to let him through before closing it gently behind them, being careful not to slam it.

At the sound of the soft 'click' of the door fitting back into its latch Rufus' mask shattered; face scrunching up he almost pitched forward, his body sagging heavily against the support of his cane. In a flash Elena was there, grabbing his arm, taking some of his weight. Wordlessly she led him through the empty study towards a sofa onto which he practically collapsed.

Sitting down next to him Elena's face twisted with concern, her hand unwilling to relinquish its grip on his arm.

"Should I get a doctor sir?" she asked breathlessly.

Bending double Rufus shook his head, his breaths coming out shallow and ragged, "It'll pass," he answered. "Damn leg," he muttered half to himself, "knew I was overdoing it." Despite the searing pain Rufus couldn't help but smile sardonically, visions of scolding physiotherapists and neglected exercises playing in his head- maybe the demonic nurse had had a point after all.

"Is there something I can fetch you for the pain? Some medication?"

Again Rufus shook his head, "No," he replied, "...just stay with me a minute."

Elena bit her lip and nodded silently.

Their situation was much changed since the last time she had witnessed Rufus in such pain. That night in the Turks' office he had been angry and hostile at being caught out so in front of an employee. Now he seemed to accept her presence, even appeared to be taking comfort from it. She in turn was no longer scared or intimidated to see Rufus like this. Instead she watched over him with concern-filled eyes, a kind of dull-ache taking up residence in her chest, desperate to help him but vexed at her inability to do so.

How long did they stay that way? She couldn't be sure. Minutes or hours could have passed in the stillness before, with a small gasp, Elena felt the hand close over her own, securing it in its resting place on his forearm. Stunned she couldn't help but glance anxiously towards her superior. Rufus' head remained bowed, whatever thoughts or emotions that might be passing across his face well hidden from her view.

Elena remained completely motionless, not daring to move even when the tension in her neck and shoulders started to make her muscles ache in protest.

"Pathetic."

She blinked at the sudden word, spoken in a low, hoarse whisper. Confused, she looked down once more at Rufus' cowed head. What was pathetic? Was he referring to himself? To the situation? Did he think _she_ was pathetic?

"What say you now Elena? Do you pity me now?"

"Sir?" she asked softly, brow furrowing in confusion before recollection suddenly hit home. The encounter they had had in his office when she first presented her report on the WRO oil excavation project. He had asked her the same question then, a few months and a lifetime ago. Considering it now, Elena realised her answer was the same as it was then, but for different reasons.

"No sir," she said in a soft half-whisper that caused Rufus to look up curiously. Catching his questioning eye she looked away bashfully before elaborating-- "I don't think you deserve pity, sir."

There was a moment's silence in which Rufus' eyes widened in surprise, before scrunching shut. Dropping his head back against the top of the couch he broke out into an ironic chuckle.

"Oh that bluntness!" he laughed softly shaking his head as he did so, "I think I shall miss it when we get back to Edge."

Realising what she had just said Elena gave a small gasp of mortification, "I-, I didn't mean it like that sir!" She cried, stumbling over her words in her effort to backtrack. "Wh- What I meant was... I don't see anything that _requires_ my pity."

Rufus by that time had slowly twisted his head around to observe her. To see Elena back to her flustered, foot-in-mouth best after days of shutting herself up in a stubborn, recalcitrant shell pleased him more than he would have thought possible. Forgetting his own melancholy he watched her with renewed interest.

Feeling his gaze upon her, it took Elena several seconds to pluck up the courage to raise her own face to meet his. When she did the emotions behind his eyes were almost unreadable- surprise appeared to be at the forefront however, and it did not fill her with confidence.

"Really?" he eventually asked in a slow provocative tone, tilting his face deliberately so that the damaged side was on full display. "Nothing at all that is worthy of your regret?"

Elena swallowed, starting to wish she hadn't gone down this path with him. ".. I am sorry for this." She conceded, gesturing vaguely at his face and cane. "But... they do not stop you being you. You keep on going even with them, despite of them... If anything I admire you." This last sentence was articulated in a near whisper. Elena dropped her head towards her lap as she spoke the words, suddenly feeling almost overwhelmed with emotion. If anyone should be pitied it ought to be her, she was the one who had allowed her experiences in the Northern Crater to impede her, to alter her to the point where she sometimes didn't even recognise herself.

Again silence, and again she found it excruciating. His stillness was near torture to her and after a moment she raised her head in sheer desperation.

He was looking down at her, the expression on his face was an odd one; a slight frown, part incredulity, part... what? Despite her nervousness however, Elena couldn't help but smile upon seeing the same mutinous lock of hair fall once again across his eyes. Catching the slight upward twitch of her lips the frown on Rufus' face instantly melted, though the expression it gave way to was anything but light-hearted. Instead the intensity of it made the breath catch in her throat.

"Elena."

Was it a question? A statement? Was she supposed to respond? The intonation in his voice had been so soft she had trouble interpreting it. Besides which, the blood roared so loudly in her head now that Elena was having trouble thinking coherently.

What was she supposed to do? Focusing once more on the hair, she moved without really thinking, reaching out tentatively with her free hand, intending to smooth the errant lock back into place. At least _that _was something she could do. Though he could clearly see the progress of the hand as it moved towards him Rufus made no move to stop her or flinch away, instead keeping perfectly still, like one would in the proximity of a wild animal that could take fright at any second.

The hand had not made it half way between them when it hit her. A floodlight suddenly flicking on, exposing Elena to the cold harsh reality of the situation. This was wrong, this was so wrong! To allow herself to be in this room, alone with him, to spout such nostalgic drivel. To be this close, so close he was actually touching her, skin on skin, his hand still settled over her own. To try to touch him herself!

Snatching her hand back and ducking her head, Elena felt a tidal wave of panic flood over her. Desperately she cast her mind about, searching for any straw to clasp, anything to move away from this indiscretion, to bring things back to a removed, professional setting. She didn't dare move her hand away though, didn't dare do anything to draw his attention to it. To do so could be inferred as a rejection on her part, and to reject would be to acknowledge that some offer, some exchange had just taken place. She didn't want to think that. Didn't want him to think that she thought that. Gods she was confused! She needed to get some air.

"You- you said we were going back to Edge?" she asked shakily, picking up on Rufus' throwaway comment from a moment before and running with it for dear life.

Rufus blinked at her sudden query, momentarily thrown himself, before recalling his wits with a small frown.

It took him a moment to answer, his voice uncharacteristically unsure when he did finally speak.

"Yes," he began slowly, trying as best he could to reign in his own confused senses, "not quite yet, but soon."

Without looking down, Elena felt the pressure on her hand ease then slip away altogether as he relinquished his grip. Wordlessly she moved the hand away from his arm, clasping both palms firmly in her lap as if she feared they might suddenly fly out towards him again.

Besides her Rufus straightened his back, adopting the old, business-like manner, whatever spell that had hung fragilely between them shattering silently, neither of them acknowledging its passing.

"There are still matters that need to be resolved." he continued, voice rising in speed and confidence as he spoke. "The restart of the oil excavations, finalising arrangements with Ingham... and then of course there is that last matter."

He stopped, waiting for a response that did not come. For her part Elena just stared blankly ahead.

"You know what I am referring to?" he prompted her.

".. Yes sir." She acknowledged in a barely audible voice.

Pausing Rufus seemed to consider a moment before speaking up again in a sharp, matter-of-fact voice.

"You do not care for Gabriella do you Elena?"

Elena blinked, attempting to keep her expression neutral in the face of this accusation.

"I don't think anything of Miss Gabriella sir."

"Really?" he countered, "that surprises me, given the loathsome way she has been treating you."

Elena flinched at this sudden, unexpected acknowledgement on Rufus' part.

"I- I'm not sure this is an appropriate conversation to be getting into sir, given... circumstances."

"Circumstances?" Rufus echoed.

There was a pause in which Elena fought to keep her gaze fixed straight ahead under the pressure of Rufus' probing eyes.

"And what about me?"

Startled, Elena's wide eyes had snapped back to look at Rufus' face before she was even aware of herself. _What _had he just asked her?! Mind reeling, she had to struggle a moment to regain control of her speech.

"Sir?" she asked, her voice uncomfortably high and breathless.

Rufus' gaze seemed to intensify as he held her look with his own for a few seconds more.

"Do you think I care for Gabriella, Elena?"

Elena couldn't stop another small cringe as she hurriedly looked away. No, it was suddenly as clear as day, no he didn't care for Gabriella one jot! It was written all over his face, in the knowing, sour expression he held. For all his smiles and acknowledgements towards Gabriella's flirting he had never once reciprocated, merely tolerated.

Rufus in turn simply tilted his head and continued to watch her closely.

"I- I wouldn't know sir." Elena eventually managed to bleat out.

"Come now Elena, it's a simple enough question. Do I like Gabriella or don't I?"

Elena was dangerously close to giving away her emotions by now.

"No sir." She whispered, her voice so strained it was barely audible.

Something akin to triumph flashed dully in Rufus' eyes. It did not last long however. Taking in Elena's stricken features he frowned, his pleased look faltering, before dissipating altogether. What took its place was an expression of sullen comprehension.

"But that does not matter does it Elena? Not to me least ways." He spoke the words in a deliberate almost dangerous tone, scrutinising her responses as he did so. "I will still (what was it?) _'pursue'_ her, shallow poisonous little thing that she is, for the sake of rebuilding the company, correct?"

"I woul-, it's not my place to say, sir." Half-panicked now she made a bid to rise from the sofa only to be stopped by Rufus reaching out a hand and grasping her forcibly by the arm, pinning her back down on her seat.

"I am making it your place Elena," he hissed, his gaze taking on an almost feverish quality, as if the pain had unhinged something inside him. His grip on her arm tightening until it almost hurt. "That's what you think isn't it? Given what you have witnessed it can be no great supposition, only what one would expect from a man only interested in buying and selling. Admit it!"

"Please sir-"

"_Admit it!"_

"Yes sir."

He froze, eyes staring deadly at her for a moment before with a low exhalation of breath he removed his grip from her arm, almost pushing her away in the process. Unlike her, Rufus appeared to have no qualms about displaying rejection.

"Good," he said quietly, turning away to stare into space, "so long as we understand each other."

A moment's dreadful silence filled the room, broken up only by Elena's soft erratic breaths. Without looking at her Rufus rose to his feet, the same hand that had clasped her own now moving up to fix the loose lock of hair.

"We should be getting back." He commented in a deadened voice, "the others will be wondering where we are."

He listened to the soft rustle of fabric behind him as Elena obediently rose from her seat. Then, without further comment, he led the way back into the drawing room.

Not looking back Rufus moved quickly into the fray. Calmly and purposefully he threaded his way through the room, staking his claim once more at Gabriella's side. Upon his return she looked up at his stone-like countenance, questioning what had occurred in her absence with a quizzical hike of an eyebrow. He shook his head in return, _'Nothing'_ his motion reassured, _'it was nothing.'_

_AU note: Please leave a review. I know I haven't yet got around to answering the latest lot of reviews but I DO appreciate them and they DO encourage me! _

_Milvus_


	18. Chapter 18

_AU note: 'Why Ambassador, with these updates you are really spoiling us!' _

_Heh, heh, actually you can thank the famous British weather for this speedy update. Why won't it stop raining? It's August not February! I should be out picnicking by the river or something equally Summery; instead I'm inside, with a thick woolly cardigan drinking chai tea! Ah well, on the plus side it means I've been spending more time writing..._

_This chapter is dedicated to Blooming Delirium- sorry I took so long to incorporate your request!_

Elena ran. It was the only thing she could think to do. If she stayed still too long the events of last evening would return, pressing against the back of her eyes and the inside of her ears. The President angry, disappointed- all at her, no one else, her!

In the midst of her movement Elena shook her head, trying futilely to rid the images dancing around her skull. The pained look on his face, followed by the angered, furious scowl, his grip on her arm, not tender at all, hostile, painful.

She'd left that morning without warning, without telling anyone, slipped out unnoticed in her running gear. Training, that was all it was, just training. Part of the job. She certainly wasn't running away!

_Admit it!_

His voice, his demand from the previous night sounded out in her head.

'_I will still pursue her, for the sake of rebuilding the company. That's what you think isn't it? Admit it!'_

She closed her eyes but the demand continued relentless, beating out against the pace of her footfalls.

_Admit it! Admit it! Admit it!_

And she had! At that moment she had. Because that was what she was supposed to think. He was the boss, the President, he _was _the company! When he fell it fell with him. Now he was working to pull both himself and the company back up and she should be there to help him. So what if his methods were callous? They always had been. It was her job to aid him, not question him. If he chose to associate himself with a women he did not, could not care for then what concern was it of hers? It was for the good of the company, it was what was to be expected, nothing less nothing more.

Nothing else mattered. Nothing else mattered to him.

Why then did it make her so miserable? And worse, why did his forcing her to admit it fill her with such shame?

What else was she supposed to think? She asked herself the same question over and over, wanted to scream it at him, beg him to tell her the right answer, even as he'd looked at her with deadened eyes, as he'd physically pushed her away.

'_So long as we understand each other.'_

But what else was there to understand? _What else was she supposed to think?!_

Pulling up sharply at the threshold to the Ingham's drive, Elena bent double, placing her hands firmly on her thighs as she fought to regain her breath. Frustrated she allowed herself a little shriek through gritted teeth, kicking up a cloud of dust in an impotent gesture.

"Hi!"

Elena spun around, eyes widening, hands immediately clenching into fists. Shock was the first emotion to hit her, quickly followed by embarrassment, her flushed face growing even redder.

Her addresser held both hands up in supplication, patting the air in front of her softly.

"Hey, hey wait up! I'm just here to talk that's all, honest!"

Elena glared warily at Yuffie, eyes making a quick scan of the area, searching for potential accomplices. Satisfied that the young ninja was alone, she allowed herself to relax her stance a little. Still panting slightly from her run she considered the girl with a suspicious look. She'd been waiting for her, that much was clear. Why? What for?

"What do you want?" she asked eventually, bringing a forearm up to wipe the sweat from her brow, voice thick with suspicion. Time had done little to soften the discomfort she felt around this particular member of AVALANCHE, too many humiliating memories were awakened at the sight of the gangly teenager.

Yuffie seemed to hesitate, unsure where to go from here now that she had the Turk's attention. Scuffing her shoe against the dirt road she twisted awkwardly on the spot before speaking up.

"Your boss is a real jerk y'know that?"

Elena allowed her lips to curl up into the tiniest smirk at the comment. Exhaling slowly, she began to regain her breath.

"Yeah well, your lot haven't exactly been civil either." She countered in a low voice.

Yuffie scrunched up her nose at this distastefully.

"That's just Barret and Cid for ya. I mean you shouldn't take it so personal or anything, heck I thought Shinra had a thicker skin than that!"

Elena said nothing in response, just continued to watch the ninja. Yuffie dropped her eyes to the ground in a sign of discomfort before slowly rolling them up to meet Elena's.

"Ah man! Look, both sides screwed up yeah? But listen, it's not like I'm bugging you for no good reason. This thing Reeve's onto, it looks like it could be important, something big! Gawd he's even got Cloud taking an interest so it _must_ be important! And if Shinra knows something... heck it was a Shin-Ra project after all!"

"Ru- the President didn't know anything about it." Elena interjected quickly, rushing thoughtlessly to his defence.

Yuffie nodded rapidly in fervent agreement, glad that someone from Shin-Ra was finally acknowledging the existence of Deepground.

"Yeah, yeah. But listen, if he knows anything _now_... well.. it'll be really helpful is all I'm saying."

Elena stared at her confused. She shrugged, "So why are you telling me all this? Why don't you speak to the President?"

"Well I _tried_ to obviously but the jerk walked out on me before I got the chance! Jeez you were there!"

Again no reply.

"Look, I was thinking.. maybe you could talk to him for us..."

Elena couldn't help the rueful smile that twisted her features.

"What makes you think he'll listen to me?"

It was Yuffie's turn to shrug.

"Dunno, but it's worth a shot... _please_!" She pressed upon seeing the doubtful look crossing Elena's face.

Elena shook her head, "No way, he'll just get pissed."

"Heck that's nothing new. The guy acts like he's got a permanent bug up his ass!"

Elena hesitated, mouth opening but no words coming out. The frown marks across her forehead hinted at the internal battle going on in her head, before with an exhalation of breath she allowed her shoulders to sag.

"... I can't." She said in a small, defeated voice.

"_Please! _You've gotta!" Yuffie half-wailed.

"I-... he's angry at me." Elena sighed, dropping her head a little at the admission.

Yuffie cocked her head to the side curiously.

"Why? What you do?"

Elena frowned before shaking her head. She wanted to say that _she _hadn't done anything... but what was the point?

"No," she whispered, "I'm sorry."

Turning on her heel she made to jog back the remaining distance to the house, separating herself as fast as she could from the vexed expression on the young ninja's face.

"Hey! Wait!" Yuffie called out frantically, "Listen to me... you- you COWARD!"

Elena stopped short, twisting back around to face her accuser, a stunned look on her face.

"What?" she asked in a tiny voice.

"You- you heard me!" Yuffie replied, angry but a little uncertain nonetheless, "I always thought you had more of a backbone than that. After what happened in Wutai and all!"

Elena winced visibly, this being the first reference to that unfortunate event to be spoken out loud.

"... There was nothing brave about being kidnapped by that mohawked perv!" She answered sourly, humiliation flaring up inside her. "You know that as well as I do!"

"At least you fought back!" Yuffie retorted fiercely, stamping her foot for emphasis, "You had some guts back then. Don't see where it got to now though! Now you won't even try, now you just give up before the fight even starts!"

"_You don't understand!"_ Elena's wail came suddenly, desperation and frustration reaching a peak, crumbling her defences, "He won't listen! He never listens! He'll never change his mind! It's a fool's errand!"

Yuffie could only gape, shocked by the intensity of the emotion erupting from the Turk. Blood pumping Elena took a couple of sharp angry breaths before glancing around, suddenly aware of the ruckus they were making and the attention it might be attracting.

"I have to go" she said in a quiet anxious voice. "...I'm sorry."

Yuffie grimaced but said nothing in reply. Turning once again Elena hurried the short distance to the front of the house.

***

_Fraternising with the enemy?_

Rufus allowed a small sardonic twitch of the lips. Nothing surprised him anymore, not at this stage. If someone had told him a couple of months back that he would find himself so concerned with the actions and impressions of a single Turk, well he would have quite rightly laughed in their face. The idea was ridiculous plain and simple! He knew it all too well, even as his eyes trailed Elena the last few yards back to the house.

Frowning Rufus moved away from his spot at the study window, a station he had taken up out of a mix of concern and irritation at finding his bodyguard once again no longer where she ought to be. _'Leave it'_ said a tired, resigned voice within him, the same voice that was still raw and contrite over his angry outburst the other night. Still another defiant part of him flared up at the thought.

_Why? Why should he permit her discretions he would not allow any other members of his staff? Was she different somehow? _

'_No!' _came the denial, possibly a little too sharply.

_Well then, she should be made accountable for her actions, just like any other._

Sighing at his own conclusion Rufus closed his eyes.

Something had changed since last night, since he had forced her to admit the black and white terms in which she still saw him. To think that he could sell himself so cheaply, while she would watch on with the impassive detachment of an employee...

Of course, he had no one to blame but himself. What else could she have been led to think given his behaviour?

Still, since then something was gone, some drive. This place, this household felt empty, redundant. He found himself struggling to remember why he remained. What was left to achieve? Hadn't he listed them the other night? Whatever they were they now felt so banal, so pointless as to not be worth drawing to mind.

...He would give her half an hour before reprimanding her.

***

Elena padded absently up the staircase, meeting no one along the way.

Stepping into the privacy of her own room she walked to the centre before slowing to a halt, her body swaying indecisively, waiting for directions from her brain. Tired, and lacking the motivation to do much else, she allowed herself to sink to her knees until she was sat in an ungainly heap in the middle of the floor.

She stayed there for what felt like an indefinite amount of time. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she ought to be stretching after the run, that her muscles would pay the price the next morning if she didn't. Instead she remained there motionless, the heat from her limbs slowly dissipating into the air around her as time ticked by.

Yuffie's accusations still rang clear in her head. Was she still scared? Yuffie was right, the old Elena would have charged into any fight, fists blazing... sometimes a little too rashly if truth be told. Memories of Don Corneo's leering face rose unbidden to her mind, making her shudder.

What had happened to that girl? Was she really still so broken after returning from the Northern Crater?

She thought that she was improving, that she had even started to grow a little bolder with the President. At least before the events of last night anyway.

Minutes, or possibly hours slipped by. She should probably get up, the others might be wondering where she was... well, at least the President might be wondering where she was.

Raising her head Elena finally mustered the energy to lift herself up from her crouched position, legs already feeling stiff and resistant. Struck by a sudden compulsion she turned towards the dressing table at the far side of the room, approaching it with slow-moving caution. Reaching the front of the glass she stared at the ruddy-faced reflection looking back at her, the unflattering flush of her cheeks had died down but locks of hair dried stiff with sweat were still plastered to her skin. The face looked tired, worn.

'_But it won't be like that,'_ she tried to reassure herself, _'It's not the same. The President isn't a monster. He isn't like that. You have nothing to fear from him.'_

_Don't I?_

She wasn't even focusing on her reflection now, her gaze just wandering vacantly off into the depths of the glass.

'_What in Gaia could he do? That could make you so afraid?'_

_...He could be disappointed in me again._

Elena flinched internally. Ever the overly zealous rookie she'd always been keen to impress, be it Tseng, be it her fellow Turks, be it the lingering shadow of her sister. More important than gaining their admiration however had been to avoid their disapproval. The very thought when she had first started out was enough to cause a hundred nervous butterflies to take flight in her stomach.

This was different though, it was almost like a dull persistent ache gnawing away at her. The fact that he thought ill of her filled her with unaccountable sadness; it was well known that the President's favour, once lost, was lost for good.

She sighed, dropping her eyes a fraction in the process.

With deliberate slowness she raised her arms, peeling off the sweat-clad running shirt. Clutching the garment to her chest she pivoted on the spot so her back was to the mirror, twisting her neck around to contemplate the reflection in the glass.

Truth be told Elena rarely studied the scars she had brought back from that assignment. She had never considered herself a vain person, she did not avoid the marks on her skin on account of their ugliness. No, it was the memories they evoked and the emotions that came with them that she shied from.

As if on cue the very same images started to return, tentatively at first, flickering around the edges of her consciousness as she contemplated herself, then, finding no resistance, moving in with greater vigour and confidence.

Cold, dark, the sheer helplessness of emptying her gun into that swirling black mist, figures emerging from the very air in front of her, clutching her by the throat, choking her.

Elena grimaced, there it was- fear. Still lurking even now. It was disheartening how quickly it rose to the occasion. Horrible, humiliating, paralysing fear. She wanted to cry right then and there. Would she ever rid herself of it? Biting her lip she forced herself to continue with her inspection.

That large burn, below the shoulder-blade, skin dry and scaly. That was Loz. She could hear the electrical crackle of the dualhound, the strange, disconnected stench of scorched skin.

A thinner arcing scar, quite aesthetic in its own way. Kadaj? Or maybe the other one, the strange effeminate one. She found she couldn't quite recall.

Tseng on the ground, clutching at a shoulder wound. Face pale and stretched taunt with pain. Couldn't help him either.

'_Just tell us where mother is.'_

Green glowing eyes.

Blue eyes.

She gave a small involuntary gasp.

_What?_

Had she been so caught up in her own self-introspection that she had not heard the gentle knock? Had he knocked at all or simply walked in?

Either way he was standing there now, frosty blue eyes hovering in the glass in front of her. It had all occurred so suddenly it felt almost dream-like in its nature. Like if she looked away the reflection would be gone, he wouldn't be standing there at the threshold, gaze fixed on the patchwork of scars and burn marks of her back, fully presented to him through her own treacherous image in the mirror.

She couldn't look away though. Even with her wide, deer-in-the-headlights eyes, her slightly erratic breathing, some deranged masochistic streak in her forced her to continue staring at him, taking in his reaction, ever awful detail of it.

Shock, that was inevitable. His entire body seemed to waver at the doorway and for the fleetest of moments she thought he might take a step into the room. A second later however and the expression on his face turned to iron, hardened into a still, unflinching stare, terrible in its intensity. There was no hint of embarrassment in it, no humility for either himself or on her behalf. It was almost as if he considered it his right to see her, to inspect the damage just like he would any other commodity within the company's possession.

The thought both appalled and oddly thrilled her.

What he saw however obviously did not please. The still expression on his face slowly gave way to a scowl, deepening in its fury with every second that passed.

_Strange, _she thought even as she watched the flickering sequence of emotions play across his face, _this was the most open he would ever likely be with her, yet she only got to witness it indirectly through an image in the glass._

Shaken into action Elena finally managed a half-turn, bumping the dressing table awkwardly in the process.

At her clumsy movement whatever spell that had been hanging so fragilely in the room broke. Rufus' eyes jerked up away from the mirror towards Elena's own wide hazel ones. He stared at her for the briefest of seconds, gaze still seeped with angry energy, before turning abruptly and exiting the room.

She remained frozen on the spot, before sagging heavily against the table, breaths coming deep and shaken.

Neither of them had said a word throughout the entire episode.

***

Rufus moved with fast, determined footfalls. Though truly he gave no thought as to where he was going. Somehow he ended up back in the study again, the same room in which he had stood sentry only a short time before, awaiting Elena's return, the same room he had had his encounter with Gabriella in, the one Elena had walked in on. Such interruptions seemed to be becoming a habit within this household.

Once there he found himself at a loss as to what to do. Pacing frustratedly back and forth he gritted his teeth, shame and anger washing over him in equal measure. He briefly considered breaking something, smashing some expensive object against a wall, taking the satisfaction of watching it disintegrate, but quickly dismissed such a notion as far too cliché.

Instead he settled for resting his forehead against the wall, letting the cool plaster draw the fever from his brow as he worked to regain his composure.

His mind was not working terribly well. Whatever thoughts he began to assemble buckled or shattered midway until there was nothing but messy ill-defined emotions. Anger appeared to be a prominent one, coupled with frustration, above all however swelled a heady, disorientating sense of outrage.

_How dare she!_

_He _was the one who was supposed to be in control! _He _was the one who retained some vestiges of power, who fought to rebuild in the face of such loss, such a humiliating fall.

But now even she, even his employee, the most inexperienced and naive one of his Turks was against him! She had witnessed his own pathetic weakness, made him question his own decisions, openly defied him for gods' sake! That hardened look she had given him on the staircase, the night he had been too proud to put a stop to Gabriella's tirade, that look stayed with him even now...

..Even now? And now! Now, her own body, her very appearance was working against him- Flaunting his own poor judgements, his own ill-thought out choices with her flesh.

He had grown to accept his own scars, to look upon those physical momentums as some grim badge of honour. But to think that she now wore the same, that they would be forever there, hidden under a white cotton shirt. What should have been perfect smooth skin, now a living testament to his own failures.

Somewhere in the back of his mind a small voice told him he was being illogical, but he was too gone to listen.

_She had wanted him to see!_

_She blamed him for it._

One glimpse, just long enough to be etched irrevocably into his mind's eye, then gone.

Others might see them, in time. Her next lover, days, months, years from now would cast his eye on them. _'Look what he did to me.'_ She would sigh, and they would nod, placing their hands sympathetically against the scars.

A wave of angry possessiveness nearly knocked him sideways. Those scars were his doing as much as anyone, a message meant for him, to remind him. No one else should see them, _no one!_

Snapping his eyes open Rufus gasped at this sudden irrationality, this furious jealously that had taken hold. For a moment he stood there frozen, appalled by both the veracity of his anger, and the unreasonable, twisted direction it was following.

_This had to stop._

It came clear and stern, like a bell sounding out the hour, louder now that the rest of his mind had ground to a halt. Stated so quickly too, the only logical conclusion to be reached.

_She affected him. She held power over him. This had to stop._

He'd been ignoring it, denying it for too long. Closing his eyes he tried to face this judgement head on, consider it, weigh up the benefits and cons. He found he could not do so entirely calmly however. Another part of him wailed its dissent. Not articulate enough to put its protest into words it kicked and flailed, causing an unpleasant stirring just under his ribcage.

_No! This had to stop!_

***

'_What are you doing? What are you doing? What in Gaia are you doing?' _The frightened voice shrieked incessantly inside Elena's head with every step she took. It was later that afternoon and she found herself in the drawing room, about to do something potentially very stupid.

The President had made no mention of what had taken place that morning, in fact he hadn't said a word to her full stop, nor made any acknowledgement of her presence in general. She had remained holed up in her room for as long as was feasibly possible after the incident. Duty, and a fear of further retribution had eventually forced her out however. Though she would never have thought it possible Elena had actually been relieved to find Gabriella in the same room as the President, sitting quietly by with a book while Rufus made a great show of perusing the newspapers. Gratefully Elena slipped into her customary place a few feet off on the other side of the room, glad to attract absolutely no attention.

And she should have stayed that way damn it! Only her thoughts wouldn't let her go. Yuffie's accusations kept circling around her head, squawking like a bird, _'Coward! Coward! Coward!'_

It was unbearable, the longer she stayed there, in the suffocating silence of the room, all the time the mantra in her head just grew in intensity until it drowned everything else out, even her own embarrassment.

And then suddenly she had snapped. Without fully realising it, without thinking it through she had just started moving towards the President. And it was around then that the frantic voice of logic had started, screaming at her to stop even as she stepped closer and closer, rising in pitch until it was nothing more than a high-pitch whine resonating between her ears.

Upon sensing her approach Rufus' posture had stiffened notably. It wasn't until she was directly besides him however that he slowly lifted his chin to glance up at her, not saying a word, eyes not even questioning.

"Sir, may I... have a word?"

"Another one?" Gabriella laughed incredulously, "Why my dear you spent so much time with him last night! Please, leave some of the good president for the rest of us!"

Rufus' gaze flickered briefly in Gabriella's direction before turning up again to consider his employee. The expression behind his eyes was cold and hard, _'He's still angry',_ Elena thought miserably.

Looking away Rufus seemed to pause a moment before, with a slow exhalation of breath, he folded the newspaper and rose to his feet. Gabriella watching with raised eyebrows but gave no further comment. Dropping the paper on the chair he gave Elena a sharp jerk of the head, signalling to her to lead the way.

Silently Elena turned and walked off a few steps to the other side of the room, affording them some small sense of privacy. With every step the dread feeling inside her grew. What in Gaia was she thinking? He was obviously still fuming over their exchange last night. Or maybe it was the event earlier that was riling him. Either way this was clearly _not _the time to be asking favours off him. Silently Elena cursed the evil ninja who had persuaded her to put herself in this mess.

Stopping close to the door Elena turned to face the President. She opened her mouth to speak but found she couldn't even think how to begin. Finding herself lost for words she hesitated, brow wrinkling in distress. Across from her Rufus noted her discomfort. As the silence began to press around them he drew in a reluctant breath, eyes sliding to the side.

"Elena," he began hesitantly, "I feel I must apol-"

Realising what he was alluding to Elena looked up sharply.

"Please sir, it's not that!" She interjected quickly, feeling the colour rise in her cheeks. For his part Rufus seemed all too willing to drop the subject, cutting off his apology at the first sound of her protest. He kept his gaze shifted away from her, preferring to focus on some indeterminate spot just behind her left shoulder.

'_He won't even look at me,' _she thought.

Hesitating, she cast her eyes momentarily to the floor, struggling to rally her resolve before pressing on with her mission.

"I- I was thinking sir."

"Thinking?" he echoed.

Elena paused. In an ironic way this reminded her of the confrontation they had had over the dress back in Costa del Sol. He had been amused back then though, his words playful as she challenged him. There was no such amusement in his speech now.

"Yes. Thinking you- you might want to reconsider giving Reeve access to the old Shin-Ra files... sir." That last sentence was spoken in a tumbling rush, sounding so lame and awkward that it made Elena wince even as the words left her mouth. Where was her reasoning? Her arguments in favour of her suggestion? Why the hell was she doing this anyway?!

Silence.

Holding her breath Elena forced herself to look up from the ground. He was now looking at her at least, his eyes having revolved slowly around to face her while she spoke.

He held her gaze for what felt like the longest time. Face completely impassive.

He'd half been expecting this, what else could that AVALANCHE brat have been attempting when she approached his bodyguard? Still, it didn't stop paranoia flashing madly in his head- it had started already! She knew of this power she had over him, was already using it to twist him, force him. Already turning against him!

_Gods this was madness!_

_This has to stop. _

The same relentless voice of reason spoke up again. Strangely standing before her made it somehow clearer, more determined. Faced up front with his own stark emotions Rufus found he could no longer procrastinate, no longer avoid what had to be done.

_This has to stop._

_How?_

_...Retreat. Retreat seemed the only option._

_...Wasn't too late._

Swallowing he somehow found his voice.

"Is that all?" he asked, words low and a little strained. From the corner of her eye Elena could see Gabriella watching the exchange curiously. Biting her lip she nodded dejectedly.

"... Thank you Elena."

Elena's head snapped up, confusion far too prominent in her expression. What? Was that it?! No remonstration, no public telling off for such impertinence?

"Sir?" she asked tentatively, completely taken aback.

He had looked away from her again, at the address however he turned his eyes back, holding her gaze briefly in his. The same impenetrable blank look still dominated his eyes but there was something else there now- a strange discomfort, almost reluctance flickering beneath the blue.

Elena felt her heart plummet somewhere into the vicinity of her shoes. Disappointed, he was disappointed in her again! She had chosen to side with the WRO, with the opposition over him! Oh gods this was the one thing she had dreaded most of all!

Panicking she opened her mouth to take it back, to retract the stupid, thoughtless suggestion before it caused anymore damage. Too late though. He was already turning away, body language indicating that the conversation was over as far as he was concerned.

Helplessly she watched as he returned to his chair, picking up the same newspaper and opening it as if nothing had occurred. From her seat across from him Gabriella also observed the President before turning her head to look pointedly at the Turk, her expression prim and slightly warning.

Taking the hint Elena bunched her hands into fists at her side before quietly exiting the room.

Upon the blonde's departure the other woman turned immediately to face her companion, her expression eagerly conspiratorial as she revelled in the Turk's humiliation.

"You know you allow that girl to get away with too much. Questioning your decisions like that!" she hissed indignantly on Rufus' behalf, "It's important to make sure an employee knows their proper place."

Rufus' blue eyes looked up at Gabriella from the top of his newspaper, their expression unreadable. After a moment studying her his focus dropped back down to the columns in front of him.

Gabriella continued to try to stare at Rufus through the pages of the newspaper, vexed at his sudden lack of conversation. Getting no further reaction from him she gave a small irritated snort before returning to her book.

Minutes of silence ticked by, unbroken even by the sound of Rufus turning the pages of his newspaper. For a while Gabriella refused to look up, determined to blank him the same way he had blanked her; after a time though she found she couldn't stand it anymore and braved a glance in the President's direction. Rufus had allowed the paper to drop to his lap and was now staring darkly into the middle distance, his brow furrowed slightly, apparently deep in thought. Gabriella cocked her head and watched him with interest.

"You know I wonder where Papa has got to." She sighed airily, making another attempt at conversation now Rufus had put down his newspaper. Rufus however, appeared not to have heard her.

"Do you think we'll get more rain tonight?"

Still no answer.

"_Rufus_," Gabriella said, starting to get annoyed, "Rufus are you even listening to me?"

"_What?!"_ he turned sharply towards her, spitting out the word with an irritated snipe. Gabriella could only blink at him, rendered mute with surprise. Rufus glowered at her for a moment; his face no longer unreadable but filled with a barely concealed contempt.

"Excuse me," he muttered in a low growl, quickly rising to his feet and striding towards the door. Outside the room he pulled out his phone, face still dark with storm clouds as he dialled the number. After two rings the other line picked up.

"Sir" Tseng's clipped voice sounded from the earpiece.

"Give Reeve access to whatever damn files he pleases." Rufus muttered in a deadpan voice.

"Very good sir." Tseng replied, his voice betraying no hint of surprise at this sudden turnaround from his employer, "Is there anything else?"

Breaths coming short and shallow Rufus turned to stare fiercely out of the window, his free hand clenching and unclenching as he deliberated one last time. He stayed fixed in that pose for several moments while on the other end of the line the head Turk waited patiently. Finally with a sigh, he dropped his head, shaking it slowly in some unspoken reproach even as he formed the words on his lips.

"... Yes."

_AU note: And now dear readers an apology. I fear the next update will be some time in coming. A certain gentleman friend who is to be commended for his persistence has finally persuaded me to come visit him in Berlin... call it research *ahem*. Then I'm away backpacking with friends for a month. If I can I will try to submit a short chapter before leaving but I haven't really begun to write it yet and I worry I won't have the time._

_So, if you don't hear from me for a while, it won't be because I have dropped off the face of the cyber-world. I'll still be here, reading your lovely reviews and trying to answer them when I can. _

_Until then, all the best!_

_- Milvus_


	19. Chapter 19

_AU note: Phew, just made it. I leave tomorrow ha, ha! Said this chapter would be a short one, hopefully it'll be enjoyable nonetheless!_

_Thanks for all the fantastic comments guys! _ _I can't believe this story's received over one-hundred reviews, makes me feel all emotional! I never thought it would get such a reception and it's always a pleasure to see even more people signing-up for alerts with each new chapter! _

_Sorry I haven't been able to reply to the reviews from the last chapter- my internet connection is playing up at home and I make it a point not to spend time on this site while in lab (though saying that I've logged on quickly in between experiments to post this chapter!)._

_Oh, and I'm upping the rating again, just for language (for now anyways...)_

_Enjoy x_

Elena awoke with an unpleasant, anxious twisting in her gut. For one sleep-fuddled moment she wondered what was wrong, then she remembered- everything, everything was wrong!

For several minutes she just lay there, contemplating the low, morning sunlight as it filtered through the curtains. Finally, with a sigh she mustered enough energy to rise up out of bed. Dressing with an almost deliberate slowness she found herself half-speculating over what fresh humiliations would be in store for her today.

Opening the door to her room Elena made a final adjustment to her uniform, smoothing her palms along her sides as she absently began to make her way down the corridor, heels making barely any sound on the carpeted floor. The house felt oddly quiet to her, not even the servants seemed to be about. Had she overslept? A quick glance at her watch however showed it still to be relatively early. Shrugging off her worries Elena continued along her way, after all in a house of this size and with so few inhabitants her failure to encounter anyone should hardly come as a surprise.

She headed for the drawing room; that was where the family members were likely to be found at this time of day. Upon entering however she found the room to be deserted, not even Rufus was there. Confused Elena turned around and made her way to the study instead, the same place she had located the President that other morning, be it in the company of Gabriella. Again however, she encountered only dusty shelves lined with books, no human presence to be found.

Confusion starting to morph into worry Elena retraced her route, her footsteps falling faster than they had a minute ago- where was everyone?

Turning a corner she gave a little start- there at the far end of the hallway another figure was approaching. It was with an odd mixture of relief and reluctance that she recognised the individual as none other than Gabriella.

Upon seeing the Turk Gabriella stopped short, surprise flashing quickly across her features. For a moment the two women contemplated each other from a distance. Elena looked at the brunette warily; it was unusual for Gabriella to pay her much attention at all, now however she was glaring at her with a cold, haughty intensity, unnerving the Turk no end. She stood there uncertainly, what was the correct thing to do? Could she turn around and go back the way she came or would she have to face walking past Gabriella, possibly being forced to give some shallow greeting in the process. Before Elena could make her mind up however Gabriella suddenly started moving again, continuing down the corridor at a sharp, determined pace, face stony-looking in its expression.

'_Great start', _Elena thought to herself as she too resumed moving at a slow deliberate pace towards the other woman, _'just what I need!'_

With only a few yards separating them Elena stepped to the side, backing against the wall to allow Gabriella passage, half-looking away in the belief that the brunette would continue by without acknowledging her. It was thus to Elena's surprise then that the other woman actually pulled up sharply in front of her, twisting around so that they stood face-to-face.

Baffled Elena lifter her head to be met with Gabriella glaring down at her. Her face, normally a healthy, rosy glow was pinched white with anger, green eyes narrow and furious. This close up Elena could also tell that Gabriella's breathing was fast and agitated, nostrils flared. The Turk only had a second to wonder what had upset her so. Glancing quickly sideways to ensure they were alone, Gabriella closed the remaining distance between them with a sudden step forward, causing Elena to instinctively press her back further against the wall. Pointing an accusatory finger in her face, Gabriella's words came out in a strained hiss.

"This is _your _doing! Don't think I don't know."

Elena could only stare at her stunned, what in Gaia was she talking about?

Oblivious to the Turk's bemused expression Gabriella continued on in a frenzied, almost ranting rush, "I'm not blind. I've seen all the fawning looks you give him, all the moments having him to yourself, dripping poison in his ear, making him forget his own station. Why you're nothing but a common whore! Well let me tell you now it won't last, he'll wake up eventually. You can fuck him all you like but he'll ne-"

Gabriella's head snapped violently sideways, the force of the blow cutting her off mid-sentence. Turning slowly back she lifted a hand, fingers probing tentatively over the offended cheek. For a moment it was hard to say which of the two women looked more shocked. Elena stared wide-eyed at Gabriella, chest rising and falling, her outstretched palm frozen in mid-air from where it had struck the other woman.

They stayed fixed like statues for some seconds before, with an incensed snort Gabriella twisted on her heel. Palm still clapped firmly against her cheek, she set off at a marching pace, leaving the Turk once again alone in the middle of the hallway.

Elena stood stock still for several moments, eyes staring fixedly ahead, breaths still coming fast and shallow. Whatever satisfaction she had derived from slapping Gabriella (and she _had _derived satisfaction from it, make no mistake!) quickly dissipated, giving way to a cold awful realisation. She had just hit her boss' host! His paramour no less! With the realisation came panic, its weight making her knees buckle slightly so that she was half-leaning against the wall in order to stay up straight- Oh Shiva what had she done?!

Blinking Elena snapped into action, she had only one hope now, finding Rufus and explaining her side of the story before Gabriella got to him. The angry, determined glare Gabriella had sent her just before walking away came flashing back into her mind, making her heart jump for a second time. Springing up Elena set off at a near run, frantic but with no idea as to where the President might be. Her mind tumbled over itself in her panic as she rushed across the length of the house. Oh gods, she had to tell him it wasn't her fault. Gabriella had provoked her, insinuated that she-, that they-.... oh gods what the hell was she going to tell him??

And no time to consider now for there he was- reaching the stairwell Elena spotted the familiar white suit in the hallway below. He wasn't alone. Besides him Ingham was talking in an agitated voice while a third party stood silently by.

"- such short notice," Ingham was whining, his voice mealy and pleading in the face of an unresponsive Rufus, "I do not understand what could account for it."

"Sir!" Elena half-shouted, already racing down the stairs, her own panic making her forget her decorum, "sir, I'm sorry sir, I-"

_?!!_

Gasping she skidded to a halt, grabbing the stair rail with both hands to stop her descent midway, nearly falling over onto her backside in the process. Below her three pairs of eyes had looked up at the sudden disturbance, Ingham's frowning and surprised, Rufus' blank and level. The expression in the third pair of eyes was unreadable, being as they were hidden behind a forever present pair of sunglasses.

"Rude??"

Elena gaped at the tall stoic figure, stunned at the unexpected presence of her fellow Turk, "what are you-?" her question trailed off unfinished as she glanced between him and Rufus. Comprehension, nauseous paralysing comprehension washed over her, forcing her to grip the handrail even tighter, knuckles turning white in the effort to keep her up straight.

He was here to replace her. She was being relieved of her duties. Rufus had tired of her and her insubordination and was sending her back to HQ in disgrace. Desperately Elena turned her gaze to the sullen face of the President.

"Sir, please," she whispered beseechingly, "I-"

"Pack your things Elena." Rufus cut her off sharply turning to exit the hallway as he did so, "we leave in ten minutes."

_We?_

She could only trail him helplessly with her eyes as he disappeared from view. Casting a nervous, furtive glance in her direction Ingham too moved off, trotting to catch up with Rufus and continue his doomed attempt at changing the President's mind.

The two Turks were left alone. Clasping his hands behind his back Rude stood at ease, shaded eyes no longer turned towards his colleague but staring off into the middle distance. For her part Elena swayed a little before slowly sinking down to land gracelessly on one of the marble steps. Turning her head she gazed with glassy eyes at Rude through the banister railings.

"Rude, wha-, what are you doing here?" She eventually completed her earlier question in a soft, strained voice.

If Rude was inclined to he would have shrugged, "Was on assignment in the Western Continent, Tseng sent me."

"Why?"

"Don't know."

Elena frowned, struggling to make sense of the situation, "Well... where are we going? What's the next stop?"

"Isn't one, I'm to escort you back to Edge."

"Edge?" Elena echoed disbelievingly, ".... but there was still so much to do here. Why?"

"Don't know."

Elena stared at him pathetically, mouth opening but with no words coming out.

"You should probably pack." Rude suggested, giving no heed to his workmate's distress, "Like the boss said, we leave in ten minutes."

***

The parting farewells were a strained affair. The small party had gathered around the front courtyard, watching silently as Rude packed the few bags into the trunk of the company car. Ingham still seemed to be struggling to process his guest's sudden desertion. Wringing his hands fretfully he kept glancing at Rufus with a pleading baffled look in his eyes. His wife on the other hand appeared more vexed then anything else. Watching Rude start the engine she suddenly stepped forward, catching Rufus even as he was half-turning towards the door of the car.

"You are of course most welcome to return anytime you like Mr. President," she said in a syrupy, conspiratorial voice, tilting her head as she did so, "for whatever reason..."

Rufus looked at her with a set jaw before flitting his eyes in the direction of her nod. Positioned a few feet away Gabriella was observing the exchange with an ice-queen like demeanour, lips arranged into a haughty pout. If Rufus felt emotion of any kind as he exchanged one last restrained look with her he did not show it. Instead he turned his head slowly back to her mother.

"Thank you," he answered in a low, level voice, "I will be sure to keep in mind just what is awaiting me here."

Not given her a chance to reply he swung quickly into the back seat of the car, eyes fixed straight ahead as Elena closed the door behind him. Trotting nervously to the other side of the cab Elena kept her head down, aware of the added attention she was getting as the last remaining Shin-Ra representative outside the vehicle. Opening her door she could not help the quick anxious glance she threw across the bonnet of the car in Gabriella's direction. Catching her gaze, the brunette glowered back at her accusingly, eyes shooting daggers. Thankfully however she kept up her icy silence. Ducking her head Elena quickly slid into the waiting car seat, closing the door behind her even as Rude put his foot down on the accelerator.

***

The lobby of Shin-Ra HQ already contained a sizeable greeting party upon arrival. Seeing the milling crowd of suited executives Elena couldn't help but wonder how word of Rufus' return had spread so quickly, especially given that she, his own bodyguard, had been unaware of it up until a short while ago.

Their return journey back to Edge had been a much more efficient exercise than before. There was no dilly-dallying around this time. Rude drove straight to Rocket Town where, to Elena's surprise, a private Shin-Ra jet was waiting. Jaw hanging open she could only stare at the craft in incomprehension. How much effort must have been put into organising all this at such short notice? And in WRO territory no less! Rufus must have been keen to leave indeed to stoop to such measures. Part of Elena was desperate to question him on the subject but the President had grown strangely introspective. Her eyes had flickered towards him many times throughout the course of the journey but he had always appeared grim-faced and silent, making communication all but impossible. Rude had offered no comment as was his want and Elena was forced to resign herself to an excruciating, silent journey back home, the jet filled with an unspoken tension that she could not even begin to dissemble.

Upon stepping across the building threshold the party of Shin-Ra officials descended en masse, calling out to their returning leader as they jostled around him, waving documents and contracts in their fists.

Rufus paid them no heed however, not even breaking his stride as he crossed the lobby floor. The crowd parted before him like a wave, the executives keen to communicate with the President but instantly shying away from any physical contact. Once he passed through the middle of them they closed in again, moving as one behind him. It was with some effort that Elena managed to keep up while avoiding being swallowed up by the haranguing crowd.

Standing a short way off at the foot of the elevator a familiar figure waited patiently for the approaching party. Tseng offered no welcoming smile, his face one of neutral professionalism. Receiving his boss with a short cursory nod he turned and pressed the button to summon the elevator. The doors of the lift opened immediately and the two men stepped promptly inside. Struggling to extricate herself from the crowd Elena just managed to hop into the elevator after them, slipping between the doors as they were shutting.

The three of them stood facing each other in silence, then with a clunk the elevator tensed and began to hoist itself upwards. Shifting his stance so that he was not facing forwards Tseng finally spoke.

"How was your trip sir?"

"Tedious." Rufus answered, eyes fixed steadily ahead, "I had forgotten how much I dislike the Western continent."

Tseng smiled slightly but said nothing in return.

"I trust everything has been running smoothly this end?"

"Yes sir, nothing major to report..."

Realising she was eavesdropping on a conversation that did not include her, Elena turned around to face the doors of the elevator, keeping her back to her two superiors as a way of separating herself from their exchange within the confined space. Eyes staring blankly ahead she tried to filter out their voices, waiting patiently as the elevator made its gradual progress up to her floor.

Her floor...

But then, he would...

Elena's eyes widened as the significance of the moment came thundering down on her.

This was her last moment with Rufus.

In a minute the elevator would stop at her floor and she would step off, while he would stay on, all the way to the Presidential office. Was it really going to end like this? She couldn't even say goodbye, not with Tseng standing there, busy updating Rufus on events during his absence. It wouldn't be appropriate to just twist around and interrupt her bosses like that.

And besides, what would she say?

Elena bit her lip and looked downwards, fighting to control the irrational panic suddenly flooding her senses. There was nothing she could do about it she tried telling herself; she would just have to accept things as they were. She would be professional, she would be dignified, she would step off the elevator when the time came and she wouldn't say a word.

And oh, how quickly the time was approaching- the elevator, which she used to inwardly curse for its slow languid progress seemed to have suddenly adopted a new lease of life, sailing up through the floors at an almost dizzying speed. Elena could only watch the flashing numbers of its progress with a resigned helplessness.

She couldn't even turn around to look at him.

Without warning the elevator pulled up from its ascent, making Elena's stomach lurch with the loss of momentum and a dread apprehension. With a merry, almost mocking ping the doors slid open and she was faced with the familiar floor lobby.

She stood frozen a moment, before stepping out of the elevator, heels clicking against the marble floor.

"Elena,"

Elena twisted sharply around at the sound of the voice, only to be met with Tseng looking back at her from the elevator.

"You can fill me in on your assignment report once I return from the President's office."

"Yes sir," Elena gave a small confirmatory nod, even as the doors started sliding shut. At the last moment her gaze flickered desperately, almost uncontrollably towards the other man in the elevator. She caught a glimpse of blue eyes looking back at her before the door cut across her view and she was left staring at a blurry image of herself within the stainless steel reflection.

_AU note: Hooray! Good place to end it I thought. Do wait for the next chapter, should be coming sometime late-September..._

_Milvus _


	20. Chapter 20

_AU note: Hi-ho, sorry for the extra delay to this already hideously belated chapter. I hope you guys haven't gotten too annoyed waiting for me to get my act together. My writing skills have been in demand elsewhere these past couple of weeks. Shortly after getting back from my travels the editors of the student newspaper I write for were in contact asking for 1,000 word articles, by next week if I wouldn't mind, blah, blah, blah- and unlike you guys they have my home phone number making them harder to avoid._

_Still, I'm back now and ready to get going again. Now, where did we leave poor Elena last..._

Elena stood stock still in the middle of the empty lobby.

Now what? What was she supposed to do?

She wasn't sure how long she stood there, the sense of isolation pressing around her until it was almost a dull roaring sound in her ears. Scrunching her eyes shut it took a few seconds of concentration before outside noises filtered through once again and she could make out the movement and chatter emanating from the nearby office.

Turning around to face the direction of the sound, she stared at the office entrance, taking deep breaths she made an effort to compose herself before facing her peers once again.

Bunching her fists determidly Elena stepped into the doorway of the office, and stopped stock still. Although the set up was familiar, the same open-plan desk arrangement, the same glass partition separating Tseng's office from the rest of the space, still there was a cramped, chaotic feel to it that took her momentarily by surprise.

There were more people inhabiting the office than she had ever seen there before, and evidence of even more besides in the mess of chairs and belongings cluttering up the space. Eyes travelling up to her own far side desk, Elena saw that it too was occupied; the same lank-haired girl she had seen being interviewed by Reno just before the President's expedition was sitting at the desk. The girl wore an ill-fitting Turk's uniform, loose hair once again falling across her eyes as she bent oven the open pages of a text book.

Frowning slightly Elena titled her head to glance over at the desk closest to the doorway. Even in the relative chaos of the office Reno's desk still managed to outclass all the others in terms of disorder. The redhead himself, uniform as mussed as his desk space, lay reclining in his chair, booted feet crossed at the ankles and propped up on the desk, using a pile of paperwork as a foot rest, eyes closed apparently in sleep. It took a few seconds of Elena purposefully staring at him until, sensing her presence, he cracked one green eye open a fraction before slowing raising both lids and turning his head lazily in her direction.

"Ah, so you're back are you?" he asked in a laidback, careless drawl, notably failing to get up, "Delighted to see you, 'mwah', 'mwah'." He mimed exaggerated kissing gestures at the air between them before closing his eyes and settling back into his doze.

"What in Gaia is going on here Reno?" Elena asked, eyes rolling across the scene in front of her.

"New recruits." He mumbled, eyes still closed.

"How many did you guys hire?" she asked, voice rising with incredulity.

Reno huffed, eyes reluctantly opening again, "None yet, they're still in the selection stage. Putting 'em through their paces and what not."

"That one's in uniform." Elena commented, nodding towards the girl at her desk.

"Well, had to give 'em something to wear- hell most of 'em just showed up with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Pretty ratty clothes at that." Reno flashed her a cocky grin, "We didn't all come fresh out of daddy's academy y'know Elena."

Elena tried to smother a grimace as she quickly looked away, an angry flush already rising in her cheeks. She felt like the rookie again. Why did she always feel like the rookie?

Trying hard to think of a fitting retort she glanced back down at Reno, only to find he had closed his eyes once again.

***

"Was everything okay sir?" Tseng asked from across the desk.

"How do you mean?" Rufus leant back in his chair. Returning to the familiar setting of the Presidential office was already imbibing him with a sense of calm and security, feelings he had been severely lacking in the previous few days. This was right, this was how it should be- things could go back to normal now and in a few weeks the whole series of events would be nothing more than a past folly, a ridiculous memory only to be recalled at the most private, sentimental of moments.

"We were just a little surprised when you cut short your trip so suddenly."

"Yes, well, there was a slight change of plans there." Rufus answered hesitantly, already starting to feel prickly and defensive under this gentle line of questioning.

"Change of plans? Was there anything in particular that occurred?"

"When I wish to divulge my business motivations to staff I will do so!" Rufus retorted, his tone suddenly sharp and hostile.

"Yes sir, my apologies." Tseng backtracked quickly, a little taken aback by his boss' abruptness.

Rufus scowled, and looked away, inwardly fuming at having given himself away so soon and so easily.

There was a moment's uncomfortable silence between the two men, during which Tseng straightened his posture in his chair and Rufus set about rearranging the items on his desk in a distracted manner.

"... And Elena sir?" Tseng questioned tentatively.

Rufus' shoulders stiffened for a fraction of a second before easing back into a relaxed posture. "Hmmm?" he asked with a lazy hum, still busying himself with the papers on his desk.

"You voiced some concern at the start of the trip as to whether she would be up to protection duties."

Rufus raised his head leisurely before sitting back in his chair. He sniffed noncommittally before allowing a small smirk to play across his face, "Well, I'm still here, in one piece—just about." He added with a self-deprecating smile, "I think we can discern from that that she did a satisfactory job."

Tseng tried not to flinch at the sardonic comment, "That could just be down to a stroke of fortune sir." He noted dryly.

"Very true," Rufus returned, nodding in agreement, "I suppose we will have to give her the benefit of the doubt."

Another awkward moment of silence passed across the desk space as Tseng struggled to think of something to say. Something had obviously taken place on the trip that Rufus did not wish to discuss.

"Would you like me to assign her for future protection duties?"

Rufus blinked in an uncharacteristically confused fashion. Seeming to recollect himself he wrinkled his nose before replying in a nonchalant tone, "Really Tseng, you need to stop treating that girl with kid gloves. The Northern Crater was months ago, it's time she was put back in the field, not kept on bodyguard duties. Surely you can think of a more productive use for her." He paused, as if giving a show of considering, "..What about these new recruits, won't they need training?"

"Elena, training?" Tseng echoed with a sceptical air.

"Well why not? Didn't her father run the former academy? Surely _something _must have rubbed off."

Tseng frowned indecisively before deciding to change the subject, "When do you wish to meet the new recruits?"

Rufus grimaced, "Meet them? Dear Gods, do I have to?"

Tseng said nothing, merely returned Rufus' gaze with level eyes.

The President gave an exasperated sigh as he rolled his head back into his chair, "Fine, fine, very well- _if _I find the time that is!"

***

"So how was it?"

"What?"

"Babysitting the Pres?"

"Oh..." Elena leant against the desk in a deliberate show of casualness. From the corner of her eye she could make out Rude entering the room and stepping over to join them, "Fine."

"Fine?" Reno repeated, hiking an eyebrow incredulously.

"Hmm-mmm"

"..What happened?"

Elena frowned, starting to feel decidedly uneasy, both her workmates watching her with fixed, relentless eyes.

"What'dya mean?" she asked in her best faux-innocent voice, coupled with a small shrug of the shoulders.

"What do I mean?" Reno mimicked in the same high-pitched tones as Elena, "I mean being bodyguard to the Pres' is never '_fine'_," he accentuated the last word with a sarcastic edge, "especially for someone as touchy as you."

"_Hey_, I'm not-" Elena clamped her mouth shut mid-protest.

"Hmm-mmm, not at all." Reno smirked at Elena's tight-lipped expression, "So what I'm saying is, it's a very curious state of affairs when our little Elley can spend weeks, nay months holed up with the dear leader and not crack. Hell, we were kinda surprised when you didn't come back after a week with nervous exhaustion!"

"You owe me fifty gil for that by the way." Rude commented dryly.

"Yeah, yeah whatever" Reno shrugged off the reminder with a wave of his hand.

"I just... got used to him." Elena offered weakly.

"_Got used to him_?"

Elena struggled for words. What was she suppose to say? That the last few months had been a living hell? That her emotions had been dragged raw from the experience? That she'd been close to breaking on several occasions? That she _had _broken down on a couple? That she'd never fully appreciated until now just how ruthless, arrogant, and manipulative the head of the company actually was? ..That the sense of purposelessness she felt now that he'd parted brought her more distress and with it humiliation than she had thought possible?

"Got used to him?" Reno spoke the words aloud once again, more to himself than anyone else, voice still heavy with disbelief, ".... and he let you?"

"Jeez Reno, could you quit repeating everything I say?" Elena asked testily. Wanting out of this conversation she straightened up quickly and moved determidly away from her two colleagues to the young girl sitting at her desk.

Sensing her approach the other girl looked up warily from her book, closer now Elena could make out it was a manual on basic materia use.

"You're in my seat." She said, keeping her voice deliberately low and level. The girl considered her with a cautious eye, unsure of what to make of this new female Turk, was she someone to submit to or someone she could challenge? Though the blonde didn't look like much there was a cold determination in her eyes that made the girl hesitate. Looking elsewhere for guidance she moved her gaze away from Elena to the figures of Reno and Rude, an unspoken question in her eyes.

"Better do as she says Lux," Reno crowed in a slightly mocking tone, "this one's got a special understanding with the President!"

Elena fought back the scowl that threatened to form and continued to stare out the girl. With a low exhalation of breath the trainee Turk dipped her head before languidly lifting herself off the chair. Without a word Elena stepped around the desk to reclaim her seat, careful to avoid the watchful stares of her fellow Turks.

***

"Reeve has been in contact again."

"The WRO quite," Rufus sniffed disinterestedly, "and how are our beggars on horseback?"

"They want to arrange a meeting to go over the Deepground files."

Rufus sighed audibly. "Oh for the love of Ifrit! Wasn't handing over the damn paperwork enough?"

"Reeve seems convinced of the existence of some kind of clandestine research facility."

"Yes, yes, the monsters in the basement- he was flogging that line the last time I saw him."

Rufus smiled to himself with inward amusement. "So what are we talking here? A few select specimens from some of Hojo's less savoury research endeavours?"

"There's a full copy of the files in your in-tray" Tseng answered, gesturing towards a rather weighty file binder positioned in a prominent spot on the President's desk. "Deepground look to be human cases mostly, though there are references to some canine experiments as well."

Rufus scrunched up his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in a disgusted gesture. "Human experiments, more of them! Good god how in Gaia did that madman get to be head of the science division?"

Tseng didn't reply.

Rufus opened his eyes with another exasperated sigh, "So, another fine public image disaster to clear up. What a delightful legacy the old man left me! Is this to be another cover-up operation like the one in Nibelheim?"

"I fear this may be too big to cover-up." Tseng stated bluntly.

"You fear?" The President's eyes narrowed with suspicion, "Why? Just how big is it? How many cases are we dealing with?"

"Thousands."

Rufus stopped moving, "Thousands?" he echoed softly. He remained rigid, staring fixedly into the eyes of his employee before cracking a faltering smile, designed to convey scepticism.

"You're kidding."

"I don't kid sir" Tseng replied with a poker face expression.

"No, you don't..." Rufus agreed, his voice trailing off to almost nothing as he tried to take in the enormity of the situation. He ran an agitated hand through his hair before making a sudden grab for the file.

"That's preposterous! Thousands? I refuse to believe it!" Opening the file at random he flicked through a few pages before shutting the binder with some force, rising to his feet as he did so. "You mean to say Hojo kept an entire army hidden under wraps, in the foundations of our own HQ and no one knew anything about it?!"

"It wasn't under wraps sir. Most of the executive board, your father included, appear to have been informed of the project, even taking a hand in its development. We have reports here from Scarlet's former weaponry division documenting-"

"_I _wasn't damn well informed about it!" Rufus suddenly cut him off with an angry shout.

Tseng stopped and stared levelly at the red faced President.

"No sir." He agreed.

Rufus scowled and twisted away sharply, turning to glare out at the urban landscape below. He rubbed a palm across his face before bringing both hands down to clasp behind his back.

Tseng sat there, waiting patiently for orders.

"You may go..." Rufus eventually muttered in a low voice, still staring darkly out beyond the glass barrier that separated the President of Shin-Ra from the rest of the city, "I'll get in touch with Reeve myself."

"Very good sir." Tseng responded, rising out of his seat. By the time he had reached the doorway Rufus still had not turned away from the window.

***

"So..."

"Sir?" Elena looked across the desk at her commander, apprehension nibbling away at her with every second that passed. She had had to wait until well into mid-afternoon before Tseng had called her into his office to go through her mission report. With every hour that had passed, her anxiety and paranoia had grown exponentially.

"How do you feel you got on?" Tseng looked across at her calmly, his face giving no hint as to the answer he expected.

Elena drew in a shaky breath. Was this a trick question? Had the President already listed her lapses and failures to Tseng in the minutest of details? Had he spoken of her at all?

She braved a glance up at Tseng, who in turn offered her a small upwards turn of the lips, not enough to be classed as a smile, but a gesture of encouragement nonetheless.

"I don't know sir," she answered timidly, "I suppose it went okay."

Tseng nodded, showing no inclination to pry any further. In fact he looked ready to move on, his eyes shifting to the computer terminal in front of him.

"Why sir? Did the President say anything?" Inside her head Elena kicked herself for such a wanting lack of restraint.

Tseng glanced up, a curious look on his face.

"The President said he was satisfied with the arrangement, yes." He answered in a slow voice.

Elena nodded uncomfortably, feeling the heat starting to build on her face. Tseng continued to watch for a still moment before leaning slightly towards her.

"You did well Elena." He said in a reassuring, paternal manner.

Elena looked up and beamed, unable to hide the gratitude on her face. Maybe she had done a good job after all, maybe all her doubts and worries were just symptoms of her own harsh self-appraisal...

Maybe it had all just been in her head.

***

Rufus waited, hand set clasped to his ear as he listened to the dull muted dialling tone sound off rhythmically. The sun was already low in the sky by the time he had rallied himself into making this call. Long orange rays sliced across the expanse of the room, illuminating one side of the President, reflecting off skin, hair and suit with the same amber glow. Despite his calm steady breathes Rufus could not stop the slight apprehension, the small flicker of concern alight in his chest. Somewhere beyond the confines of this city there was a whole Pandora's box waiting to be opened, a sleeping vengeance that could wake at any day.

The tone from the handset was cut short after the fourth sounding and a surprised voice greeted his ear, "Rufus?" Reeve asked incredulously, unable to fully believe his secretary when she had informed him who was waiting on the line.

"Reeve." Rufus responded in his best silky voice.

"You're a hard man to get hold of!" Reeve commented dryly, smothering his initial shock quickly with his own cool-business manner.

"I believe you got what you were looking for though." Rufus answered in an equally dry voice.

"The files you mean? Yes, the WRO appreciates Shin-Ra's... _eventual _cooperation in the matter."

"So what now?" Rufus clipped, ignoring Reeve's cheap shot.

"We go in." Reeve answered bluntly.

"We?"

"Well, the WRO predominantly... though of course if Shin-Ra wishes to participate at all in the exercise, any aid would be greatly appreciated."

Rufus said nothing in response. The unspoken accusation hovered across the phone line- this was Shin-Ra's mess, therefore Shin-Ra should play a hand in cleaning it up.

"Are you sure this is the best course of action Reeve? Never heard the saying 'let sleeping WEAPONs lie'?"

"Don't worry yourself Rufus," Reeve chuckled confidently, half-delighting in the unease he could hear in the voice of his former-boss, "we've got our best people on the case, the WRO have been training specifically for this kind of event. It's what we're here for!"

"Hmmm.... be that as it may, I would still advise caution. If Deepground really is as big as the reports are making it out to be-"

"Yes, yes of course. We will be employing the utmost vigilance." Reeve attempted to reassure, "Perhaps you could offer some advice, Shin-Ra has, after all, been involved in its fair share of covert operations."

"The last time the company carried out a similar exploratory mission we nearly lost two of our best officers." Rufus answered in a low growl.

Reeve said nothing, sensing the tension in Rufus' words even down the other end of the phone.

".... When do you plan to go in there?" Rufus eventually asked, his voice still agitated.

"As soon as we've got a team together, a week maybe two."

"Keep me informed of any developments." Rufus said, phrasing the sentence more as an order than a request.

"As you wish." Reeve replied steadily.

Rufus put the phone down with no further ceremony. Fingers lingering over the handset for a second, he turned slowly to look once more back out across the city, towards the horizon and the distant ruins of old Midgar beyond. By now the failing sunlight had intensified to a deep, almost ominous red.

'_This was good!'_ he tried to tell himself. _'This was what he needed- a distraction!'_ Something to focus his thoughts on. He had removed himself physically from this mess, this foolishness he had somehow managed to entangle himself in. Now, gods willing, he could do so mentally as well.

He would beat this, he would!

_AU note: A little fragmented and disorderly I know, but that was the feel I was trying to go for. Everything is unsettled, it's all a bit up in the air..._

_Oh, and do spare a minute to check out Blooming Delirium's new story 'Stigma', the latest RufusxElena fic to grace the web pages of FanFiction!_

_Milvus x_


	21. Chapter 21

_AU note: This story is now venturing dangerously into FF7 canon. I've never actually played Dirge of Cerberus so I hope I have my facts straight plot-wise. Afraid I am taking some artistic license with the time-line, events happen far too quickly in DoC so I'm spreading them out over the course of a few days. I hope dear readers you will not object too much! _

"Nearly three weeks already!"

_Six weeks..._

"Three weeks since they busted into that Pandora's Box and no one's heard a peep out of 'em since!"

_Six weeks since you last saw him..._

"What the hell are the WRO playing at?"

_He's probably just getting on with life, running the company and all that..._

It was funny, knowing he was always there, just a few floors above, but never actually seeing him. In all the time that had passed since their return to Edge (six weeks, four days and 17 hours) the President had never once ventured down from his office to the Turks' floor. Why should he?

_He probably doesn't even think of you._

Reno slouched back in his chair, a dubious frown on his face. The small posse of would-be Turks looked towards him expectantly, waiting for the redhead to proffer the answer to his own question. Instead he slunk further back into his chair, throwing his head back with an audible groan of frustration. Next to him Rude made no comment, just sat polishing his sunglasses, patience incarnate.

Elena turned her head away from the rest of the group. Reno had a right to be frustrated, they all did. It was rare for the entire Turk contingency to be stationed in one location but this was how it had been for the past three weeks- just sitting there, waiting, ready to respond to an event that may or may not occur.

The bold, televised infiltration of the old Shin-Ra base in Midgar, the apparent site of the 'Deep Ground' project by a WRO squadron, followed by their subsequent disappearance, was the talk on every set of lips from here to Wutai. Speculation as to the fate that had befallen the unfortunate party was rife. Everything from monster attacks, unleashed from hidden vaults inside Hojo's old laboratories, to a sudden cave-in within the crumbling ruins of the old HQ. Worse yet, some were suggesting that the WRO infantry men had unwittingly uncovered a new pocket of Stigma contamination and had quickly succumbed to the awful disease. Many now waited with baited-breathes, stricken by the prospect of a new outbreak of the so-called 'black death.'

Elena herself had had little time to consider these recent events. She had had little time to think about anything following her return to Edge. Her days were now quite different to the endless bored hours she had spent trapped under a pile of deskwork prior to her expedition with the President. Now the vast majority of her time was spent instigating a vigorous training regime meted out to the poor new recruits. Much more intensive and fast-tracked than she remembered her own training days at the Academy to be. The President apparently wanted his new Turks up to par as soon as humanly possible, and for some reason she couldn't fathom Tseng had selected _her_ as the best person to oversee the entire endeavour. Consequently most of her days were now spent in gruelling training fields rather than in the department itself. She didn't understand it- why not Reno or Rude? After all they had spent considerably more time with the new recruits than Elena herself had, why she was still struggling to remember all of their names!

"It's 9.30, shouldn't you be at the field by now?"

Elena looked up, startled out of her revelry, to see the figure of Tseng standing in the office doorway.

She nodded, quickly rising to her feet, the trainee Turks following suit. Reno smiled lazily and leant back further into his chair.

"Hope you all have fun freezing your asses off out there!"

Tseng looked down at the nonchalant redhead.

"Reno getup, you're out there too."

"_Me?" _Reno protested an aghast look on his face, "I'm not the one training them, that's Elle's job!... Besides, I've got other stuff needs doing" he tacked the last defensive comment on at the end, noting Tseng's steely gaze.

"All Turks to be out on training exercises today, special order." He stated dryly, turning his back and exiting the room before Reno could argue further.

"Come on." Rude said, rising to his feet. If he felt the same disdain that his partner did at such a lowly order he didn't show it.

"Training, _moi?_" Reno bewailed in an overly dramatic fashion as soon as Tseng was out of ear shot.

Elena couldn't help but smirk at her co-worker, "Don't fret Reno, it might do you some good, all that fresh air! When was the last time you went training anyway?"

"_I _don't need training," Reno countered, "I am skill personified, pure liquid Turk!"

***

The training fields resembled little more than a chilly waste ground that morning, just a sparse patch of land cornered off at the back of the HQ. Elena was quick to divide the trainees up into the groups and get them working on different exercises. While Rude took over the supervision of one group Reno proved a little less than cooperative, hanging around her and the trainees with an almost aimless air. He wouldn't join them in the warm-up session and point-blank refused to take part in anything that involved running. Basic combat techniques proved no less effective at rousing his interest. Instead he simply watched half-heartedly from the sidelines while Elena attempted to instruct the would-be Turks.

"Try adjusting your stance so your weight's settled a bit more on the left side." Even as they came out of her mouth, spoken to one of the trainees who was attempting a roundhouse kick, the words struck Elena with their familiarity. For the briefest of moments she was back in one of the abandoned slum buildings in Sector 5, donned in the old Academy uniform, resentfulness building up inside her while the figure of a blonde Turk offered unwelcome advice on her training.

"Wow kiddo, you almost sound like you know what yer talking about!" Reno's words cut sharply through the unwanted memory, bringing her back to the present. Looking up Elena saw the broad Cheshire cat grin spread over his face.

"Hey I can teach martial arts just as well as you Reno." she huffed, raising both hands to rest them either side of her hips in a defensive, haughty posture, "I'll have you know I got my last elite emblem for it at the Academy."

"Your last what?" Asked her young student, looking puzzled.

"Elite emblems, you used to get 'em for coming top of the class in the term exams!" Elena said proudly, lifting her chin slightly as she did so.

Reno raised a hand to cover the lower half of his face; a coughing noise that sounded strangely like _'Geek!'_ came out of his mouth as he looked shiftily away. Noting the amused grins flickering across the faces of the assembled students Elena felt her cheeks flush in rising anguish. Biting back the retort that was forming on her tongue she tried to focus attention on to something else.

"Right everyone, er- that's enough combat training for now," she called out in her best school-teacher voice, "Next up, materia practice!"

Stepping up to a large wooden crate Elena opened the lid and commenced handing out the glowing materia to each of the students.

"You want one Reno?" she asked guardedly, half-looking up from her crouched position over the box.

"Go on then treat me." Came the drawling reply as the redhead sauntered over. Inwardly thanking her lucky stars that her co-worker was finally cooperating Elena extended one of the magic spheres out towards him.

Hands thrust deep in his pockets Reno glanced briefly at the 'level one' ice materia Elena was attempting to offer him before turning his nose up in a theatrical gesture.

"_That _thing wouldn't even give yer frost bite!" he commented, narrowing his eyes disdainfully at the delicate green orb.

"Way to boost team morale Reno" Elena muttered sarcastically as she dropped the materia back into the box with all the others. Around her she could see the young trainees glancing down suspiciously at their own materia.

With a roll of his eyes and an all too audible sigh Reno slouched forward in the direction of the materia box.

"Fine, fine, jeez Elena! Well let's at least see if there's anything decent in here." Bending over he plunged both hands into the box and started pulling out materia spheres at random. Given each orb a fleeting inspection he tossed one after another out of the box accompanied by disdainful noises while Elena watched on with growing mortification.

"Ifrit's beard Elena, didn't Shin-Ra manage to hold onto _any_ materia with some oomph left in it?" Reno asked as he continued to rummage through the materia supplies.

"_Reno, _it's only for training purposes!" Elena answered.

"Well exactly, how are these kids s'pose to learn anything with this kindergarten grade stuff? They're s'pose to be trainee Turks for the love of Shiva!.. Aha!" Straightening up, the redhead crowed in triumph as he brandished a single glowing materia in his hand. Elena stared at the sphere anxiously. From that distance she couldn't make out its identity or rank.

Reno grinned, as he turned to face a line of plywood soldier cut-outs positioned at the other end of the field which the trainees used for target practice.

"Level three Fire materia, not quite mastered yet but still, let's see what it can do!" Powering up the materia he pointed it in the direction of one of the plywood figures even as a horrified Elena made a futile move to stop him. The sphere in his hand unleashed its energy and a split-second later, with a loud '_whoof'_, a fireball sprung up underneath the unfortunate target, sending the flimsy piece of wood several yards up into the air while simultaneously felling many of its neighbours.

The trainee Turks gave a collective 'oohh', as if watching a firework display. Reno looked smugly at his handiwork while Elena could only stare aghast at the scorched piece of earth where once her target-practice setup had been.

"Reno! Wh- what the hell are we s'pose to use for shooting practice now?!" She shouted over the sound of crackling firewood.

Reno shrugged, "Ah don't sweat it Elena, come on it was only the one target... Now if we had some 'All' materia we could pair this with, then we could really get things cooking!"

"Oh no you don't!" Elena said, lunging towards the redhead even as he made to re-examine the materia chest once again, "You're not destroying anymore of my training ground thank you very much!"

At her clumsy attempt to snatch the fire materia from his hand Reno jumped quickly back, straightening his arm above his head.

"That's not very nice. You didn't even say 'please'!"

She scowled up at his antagonising smirk. The bastard obviously wanted her to jump for it, bobbing the materia so that it was just out of her reach. Not willing to satisfy him, nor humiliate herself in front of the students Elena turned to another tactic and aimed a swift kick at Reno's shins. He however, simply dodged out of the way, the grin on his face widening as her frustration intensified.

"Ah come on Elena, you can do better than that!" he half-laughed.

Gritting her teeth Elena tried to resist the temptation to stamp her foot in frustration.

"You know what you are Reno? You're a ponytail with an idiot attached!"

"Hoo, hoo- where did that one spring from?" Without warning Reno leapt forward and pulled Elena into his chest, ruffling her hair for added effect, "Our 'ickle Elly's developing a thorny side!"

"Gerroff Reno!" Elena struggled to extricate herself from her co-worker's embrace, intensely aware of the open grins and laughter stemming from the audience of trainees.

Around them the students had formed a small semi-circle, the majority of them clearly amused at their superior's exploits. All that was, except one young girl who was looking anything but pleased. Instead she looked positively shocked, an expression of pale-faced horror on her face as she stared at something just beyond Elena's shoulder.

"Sir!" She managed in a slightly stuttering voice. Catching the tone of her address Reno glanced up. Taking in the poor girl's stricken expression he lifted his head to follow the line of her sight. Seeing what it was he grinned, his expression taking on a cocky, relaxed air even as he maintained his bear hug on Elena.

"Alright boss?" he asked in a familiar manner, nodding good naturedly as if there was nothing untoward in the situation.

_Boss? Did he just say 'boss'?! _Elena gave a muffled shriek into Reno's jacket and doubled the intensity of her struggling. Her second kick caught him off guard and managed to make contact with his ankle. With a small yell Reno released her, hopping backwards while a string of expletives left his mouth. Tasting freedom Elena spun around sharply, cheeks flushed pink and hair in a decided state of disarray.

The President did not appear at all put out by the scene, implying that he had been observing it for some time before they had become aware of him. Instead Rufus' expression was one of passive detachment, hands clasped behind his back in a relaxed fashion. Besides him Tseng was acting out the part of guide, a small concerned frown creasing his forehead as he looked across his people, both old and new.

Elena stared dumbstruck. He looked exactly the same. Well of course he would, why wouldn't he? It had only been six weeks, not six years! Still, she was thrown by the sudden familiarity she found in his features, his stance, in the cold intelligence of his eyes. The image, the _idea_ of him had stayed with her since their return to Edge- to see it now realised once again in the flesh, to have every detail confirmed once more in her mind...

He didn't look at her. Instead his eyes focused in on the gangly red-head beside her.

"Reno," he acknowledged in a deadpan tone, "how goes the training?"

"Not bad sir, I'd say, all in all." Reno answered, still balancing on one leg as he nursed his injured ankle.

Rufus' eyes travelled from the Turk to the still smouldering remains of the target.

"Yes, so I see..." he muttered in the same low voice. He looked far from amused, but at the same time he wasn't angry either. Instead his features looked deadened, mask-like, as if his mind was away somewhere else, too burdened by its own troubles to be irritated by such minor distractions as these.

Dragging his gaze back to the immediate circle of people Rufus picked out one of the trainees at random, his cold eyes settling upon the unfortunate adolescent.

"And what is your name?"

"Ellis, sir." The trainee answered in a slightly quavering voice.

"You know who I am?"

"Yes sir."

"And how do you like the life of a Turk, Ellis?"

"V-very well sir." The young recruit stumbled out his words.

Rufus nodded, a bored expression already starting to glaze over his eyes. He would forget this new recruit's name in a matter of seconds upon parting, forget his very existence. Elena was convinced of it.

"It's a noble profession, and not one to be undertaken lightly, remember that." He said the words almost as an automatic mantra, mind already wondering off towards other concerns.

"Yes sir."

Rufus gave a deep exhalation, signalling that this brief meet-and-greet session was at an end. With deliberate slowness his eyes finally turned to the direction of Elena.

"Elena." He acknowledged her with a calm, diplomatic nod.

"Sir." She responded, her voice instantly snapping into the same official air.

Without a further word or look Rufus turned and started making his way towards Rude and the next lot of trainees, positioned a short ways off, Tseng following diligently behind.

Reno watched them walk away before dropping his foot back to the floor.

"Surprise inspections! So that's why Tseng was so keen to drag me out here with the rest of you lot!" He muttered , grimacing distastefully.

"Don't sulk Reno, just because the President caught you wantonly destroying company property." Elena answered, half-distractedly, her head still half-turned in the direction of the President.

Reno readjusted his suit peevishly- a somewhat pointless effort given the suit's already highly dishevelled appearance.

"Yeah well, you'd've thought the boss would have better things to do than watching us prance around a freezing field all morning, 'specially with all this Deep Ground shit."

"Are the WRO still hounding him about that?" Elena asked, turning fully around and putting on her best carefree voice.

"Nah, now that he's playing ball with 'em the ranting phone calls have stopped. Everything's cushdy!"

Elena couldn't help blinking in surprise, "He is...?" she said softly, her head swivelling back once more to consider the retreating profile of the President, "... but I thought he..." her voice trailed off mid-sentence, leaving only a deep, puzzled expression in its wake.

***

Back within the confines of the Presidential office Rufus stood staring fixedly out of the window.

Part of him had been elated at seeing the surprise on her face, pleased that his presence had shocked her. Still, he could not say he was wholly satisfied. In his mind, he preferred to look upon the encounter as an experiment, a tester- albeit one from which the results had much to be desired. He had thought, no hoped, that time might have righted the situation, that he could have faced her with a purely professional demeanour. And he had... only not for very long. Even while making small talk with that newbie Turk (what was his name?), the fact that she was there, so close after such a long time, had been nigh on excruciating. It had taken most of his will power to stay the short time that he had.

"It was a shame you could not have stayed to observe some of the training regimes." Tseng spoke up from the other side of the desk. The displeasure in his voice barely veiled.

Half-scowling Rufus turned to face the head of the Turks, "The President has officially met the new recruits, was that not sufficient for you?"

Tseng's lips tightened into a grave expression. The agitation projecting from the young President was hard to miss, though what could be causing it was a mystery to him. The idea that the President of Shin-Ra should meet with his new recruits had appeared a relatively straightforward one. After all hadn't it been Rufus' own idea to pump new blood into the company, had he not taken an interest before, even suggested Elena for the role of trainer? Yet now, when Tseng had suggested this meeting Rufus had suddenly resisted it. It was only after weeks of repeated pressure from Tseng's part that he had finally relented. Then after all that, he had barely stayed five minutes.

"It was not my intention to cause an inconvenience sir." Tseng responded, feeling the slight on behalf of his team.

"Well of course not," Rufus snapped irritably back. Eyes flashing quickly in the direction of his employee, he caught the angst filled expression that flickered across Tseng's features. Taking a sharp inhalation of breath the President seemed to compose himself a little, his next words coming out softer and more controlled. ".. It is simply that things are a little pressurised at the moment, what with recent events... I trust that the Department of General Affairs can exist for a little while without my involvement."

"Of course sir." Tseng answered stonily.

***

That night Elena had trouble sleeping. The new piece of information she had acquired that afternoon whirled giddily around her head making rest impossible. The President had given up the Deep Ground files. Why? When he had been so against it before? What could have persuaded him to change his mind? Not her, surely not her... The mere thought was enough to send a thousand butterflies fluttering up into her guts. It was a stupid, girlish thought though- one that she should give no credence to.

She had to know, she had to see him again, if for nothing more than to ask him, to find out once and for all. Running ahead of herself she started formulated plans, scenarios in which she might encounter the President once again. At the same time another part of her shook its head solemnly at such folly.

'_He barely acknowledged you on the training fields today. Do you really think that is the behaviour of someone so swayed by you? How many more times must you humiliate yourself before you get the picture?'_

Scrunching her features up in anguish Elena twisted sharply, burying her face in her pillow, a futile attempt at hiding from the reproaches of her own thoughts. It was no good however, and she fell asleep with the same rebuke cycling over and over in her head.

_Foolish, foolish, foolish..._

***

She awoke sharply from an unsettled dream. Blinking disorientatedly Elena struggled into consciousness even as the memory of the dream started to dissolve. Gabriella had featured in it, she remembered that, a scornful smile on her face as her prim and proper voice sung the same critique that Elena had rocked herself to sleep with:

_Foolish, foolish, foolish!_

With mounting panic Elena realised that the words weren't stopping, that they were still echoing around her even now! Heart banging against her ribcage she peered wildly into the pitch black of her surroundings, trying desperately to identify the source. It was only after a few more seconds that the shrill noise started to lose its meaning, deteriorating into the repetitive, earnest call of a telephone ringing.

Finally coming to her senses, Elena gasped before stumbling out of bed. Groping her way gracelessly across the darkened room she made her way to the place where she had left her cell phone. Who on Gaia would be calling at this hour? Whatever this hour was- she had no idea what time it was.

Reaching the phone she pressed the call accept button, lifting the device to her face in the same movement.

"H-hello?" she managed in a slightly shaky voice, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand as she did so.

"Elena," came a familiar voice on the other end, "get over to head quarters immediately."

"Yes sir. Wha-?" The line cut off before she had time to question the circumstances of this sudden call up. Shaking her head in an effort to rid it of sleep Elena lifted herself out of bed. Fumbling around she groped her way to the light switch and flicked it on, the sudden onslaught of luminance made her wince sharply, pain stabbing through her temples. After the deep darkness of the early morning this sudden flood of artificial light was too much, too fast.

Heart pounding, unsettled from the shock of waking so abruptly, coupled with the fluttering anticipation of what was to come, Elena busied herself getting ready.

'_Jacket, tie'_, she ticked them off mentally as she gathered the various items around her_, 'gun... spare clip' _where was the spare clip? She was always misplacing the damn thing! Senses still somewhat dulled in her groggy state it took her an additional minute of searching before she found the desired item under a pile of yesterday's clothes. Cursing herself for already being late she stumbled out of the small apartment, hair still a little mussed, and made her way quickly to the garage.

The night air was cold and sharp when she stepped out of the car, stinging the inside of her throat as she breathed it in, exiting again as small puffs of fog. Craning her neck Elena looked up at the towering height of the Shin-Ra base across the road from where she had parked. The new metallic sheen of the building exterior seemed to almost glow, bathed in carefully positioned back lighting. Even though the new HQ could not claim to be the only skyscraper in the city like its predecessor could, it still maintained an aura of wonder, of dominance. According to the architecture at least, Shin-Ra was still a force to be reckoned with.

Even at this ungodly hour some of the office rooms were still lit-up, random squares of light scattered across the face of the building. Stretching her neck even further, Elena strained to peer up at the top most floors, her mind absently wondering if Rufus might be up there. Unlikely, surely even the President was not _that _much of a workaholic!

She strode quickly across the near deserted floor of the lobby, nodding to the security guard as she headed towards the bank of elevators on the far side. Pressing the call button the door closest to her slid open instantly. Elena stepped inside, selecting the top floor she clutched her arms to her sides and bowed her head, waiting nervously. The elevator hesitated a moment, as if in deliberation, before sliding its doors shut and, with a gentle hum, beginning its ascent.

Seventh, eighth, ninth- the elevator moved smoothly through the building, past floors and floors of nondescript offices and departments, the names and purposes of which Elena only dimly knew. Up and up, towards the more executive floors, past her own Department of General Affairs, past the boardrooms where she and her fellow Turks often conducted their meetings, past the Presidential office, up into the top most reaches of the building.

The doors opened once again and Elena stepped out onto the exposed roof of the Shin-Ra HQ. This far up a chill breeze was whipping across the crests of the skyscrapers, tousling her blonde hair into her eyes. In front of her Tseng stood waiting patiently, hands folded behind his back, apparently oblivious to the cold, the same breeze that was making a mockery of her own hair gently lifting his own long locks so that they swayed across his back and shoulders. Behind him the metallic hulk of a Shin-Ra special patrol helicopter stood, the interior of the cabin already lit up and waiting.

"Hurry inside," Tseng said by way of greeting, "you're piloting." Knowing better than to hold back with questions, Elena moved quickly to occupy the pilot's seat while Tseng positioned himself in the one next to hers. There was a minute or so of silence between them as Elena started the rotor axis moving. The blades gained speed until with a dull roar the helicopter lifted itself off the launchpad. Only once they had climbed several feet into the air, the city of Edge sprawled out below them, did Elena dare to venture a question.

"Where are we going, sir?"

"Kalm." Tseng answered simply.

"Kalm sir? The market town?" It didn't make sense. What in Gaia could be happening in such a small, low profile town as Kalm to warrant flying over there at such an hour?

For a good twenty minutes they rode in silence, the rhythmic chopping of the helicopter blades the only audible sound. Below them the rolling planes of the Eastern continent lay ghostly still, each crag and contour highlighted by the silver of the full moon.

"We're close now, keep on your guard." Tseng commented dryly, his own eyes already scanning the horizon.

"For what sir?" Elena asked, looking around nervously.

"I hardly know." Tseng muttered, an ironic smile ghosting across his lips.

Confused and anxious Elena tried to concentrate on directing the helicopter to their destination. Was something out there? Did she have cause to be concerned? Part of her was a little awed and yet slightly exasperated by the ambiguity of Tseng's behaviour. Two or three more minutes passed before Elena's curiosity got the better of her. With a hesitant breath she voiced the question that had been sticking in her mind since they had first taken off on their journey.

"Is it Deep Ground, sir?" To her chagrin her words came out with a slightly shaky quality.

For a moment Tseng didn't answer, just continued to gaze out into the surrounding darkness,

"....Yes, it would appear so."

Elena fixed her eyes straight ahead and bit her lip nervously. Deep Ground. It really did exist. But what did that even mean? What should she expect? Recalling her conversation with Reno on the training fields Elena couldn't help the follow up question that immediately came rushing to her lips.

"Is it true then sir?"

"What?"

"That the President agreed to give WRO access to the Deep Ground files?"

Tseng paused then nodded by way of affirmation.

Despite her nervousness Elena couldn't help the small smile of private elation that tugged unbidden at the corners of her mouth.

"Maybe he has the capacity to be good after all..." she mused whimsically, not really aware that she was voicing the statement until she saw Tseng's profile move in response, his eyes turning to consider her side-on.

She clenched her jaw, suddenly terrified about how much she had just given away. Trying to appear calm she continued to stare straight ahead, doing her utmost to avoid the probing look her superior was giving her. Tseng continued to watch her for what felt like an eternity until, finally, she felt his gaze ease away.

"... Maybe," his response came out slow and deliberate, causing Elena's heartbeat to intensify. From the corner of her eye she could discern the small frown playing across his face, "though he has the capacity to be a lot worse too."

"Sir?!" she squeaked, half-panicked.

"Nothing," Tseng said dismissively, though with a lingering thoughtful note, "it was just an observation."

Trying not to give away her disquiet too much Elena twisted her head away from her superior to gaze out across the dark landscape below. What could Tseng have meant by that, _'capacity to be worse'_? Frowning Elena felt an uncomfortable, hot cloud of anger start to spread across her. What _did _he mean by that? Was he questioning the President's temperament? Implying that his immediate superior was someone not to be trusted? Stunned and indignant Elena considered probing further, forcing an explanation out of Tseng. After all, how dare he throw around accusations like that with no good reason!

Or maybe he was referring to the time Rufus had attempted to raise a coup within the company. Rufus had said Tseng had known about the incident, yes that was probably it. Cooling down a little Elena allowed her tense muscles to relax, sinking further into the seat of the helicopter. Peering out from the window she could see lights below, clustered together in amongst the blackness of the surrounding wilderness- the village of Kalm.

***

Even as they approached from the air, Elena could tell instantly that something was wrong. From the heart of the town a thick inky pillar of smoke was spiralling slowly up into the heavens, a strange ominous beacon, though what it signalled she couldn't be sure- only that it pertained to violence.

They were already waiting for them when Elena set the helicopter down at the walled boundary of the town; a small knot of WRO infantrymen led by a rather ticked-off looking lieutenant.

"You can't land here!" He yelled over the din of the rotor blades upon being face to face with Tseng, "This whole area is cordoned off, WRO personnel only."

"We've permission to be here as representatives for the Shin-Ra corporation." Tseng answered defiantly, "Check with your superiors."

A muscle in the officer's face twitched irritably as he glanced between Tseng and Elena, the roar of the helicopter dimming by the second as the blades slowed their rotations. Turning away sharply he took a couple of steps, bending his head to converse into a walkie-talkie he pulled out from his belt. He seemed to listen for a moment over the crackling of static before twisting back around, the anger on his face having only intensified throughout the radio conversation.

"Come on then!" he snapped huffily, gesturing sharply with one arm, "It ain't safe to walk around here alone."

The stillness struck Elena the moment she stepped through the gateway into the small town. Even despite the lateness of the hour the streets were far too silent, too devoid of inhabitants to be natural. Where were all the people?

They should have been there, the scene was set for them. It looked as if some form of celebrations had been taking place in Kalm just before the Turks' arrival. Strings of paper lanterns still hung suspended between the gables of houses swaying faintly in the breeze, others had been torn down and now lay in trampled heaps in amongst the rest of the wreckage lining the cobblestone streets. Remnants of market stalls, many destroyed almost beyond recognition, stood abandoned. The two Turks followed their escort along the desolate scene, glass and rubble crunching under foot, not a word spoken amongst them. The WRO guards appeared nervous, clutching their military issue guns close to their chests as they scanned each shadowy alleyway with cautious eyes.

As they approached the centre of the town the damage around them only intensified. Elena's nostrils could make out the scent of burning in the air, then many of the houses that enclosed the street started to appear scarred from fire, tongues of black ash stretching out from the windows. Some had whole chunks of their exteriors missing; caved-in roofs or what looked to be large blast damaged regions, fragments of brick and scorched timber splayed out from an explosion. A few of the buildings were still smouldering, plumes of grey smoke gently coiling up into the otherwise clean sky. Whatever had taken place had done so recently.

No time to stand and wonder however, now they were close to the main square. The thick column of smoke that they had seen from the helicopter was billowing out directly in front of them. The reek of burning oil and the crackle of flames already pervading the silence that had filled the rest of the streets.

Turning a corner they finally came face to face with the origin of the fire. A large combat helicopter, or what remained of one, lay sprawled across the centre of the town. Twisted, scorched metal lay scattered across the cobblestones while the heart of the aircraft was slowly being consumed by fire. The light from the flames illuminated the gothic exteriors of the surrounding buildings, as well as the faces of several anxious looking WRO personnel. They formed a large circle around the burning hulk, shouting and cursing to each other but ultimately useless- the intense heat preventing them from getting anywhere near close enough to start battling the fire.

Elena could only stare at the scene open mouthed. Despite the cover of flames and smoke she could still make out enough of the burning wreckage to recognise that the helicopter wasn't a WRO-issued craft. Nor did it belong to the ranks of the old Shin-Ra fleet. This was something completely new. A new force? A new hostility? Realisation was already starting to ebb into her psyche even as they continued towards the opposite side of the square, making a wide berth of the flaming helicopter in order to do so.

The WRO lieutenant led the way to one of the larger houses in the square. Two sentries stood either side of the entrance, standing guard.

"You can talk to the boss in there." The lieutenant said in a surly voice, gesturing sharply with his chin. Without saying a word Tseng manoeuvred pass the officer and led the way into the temporary WRO outpost. Together, he and Elena stepped down a hallway into a large, yet comfortably furnished room that looked as if it might once have been somebody's living room. The presence of several soldiers occupying the space however was managing to spoil the cosy atmosphere that the owners had intended.

Making his way to the centre of the room Tseng stopped besides a trio of officers. The men all had their backs to him, standing in a small semi-circle around the edge of a small wooden table. They were talking with bowed heads, as if communicating with someone of only around waist height. Upon sensing the Turk's presence the three officers turned to look at him before slowing stepping back to allow him access.

Stepping forward Tseng glanced down at the WRO 'leader', if he was at all put-off or offended by who exactly he was meeting he did not show it. Besides him Elena's eyes widened in surprise.

"I was hoping to speak to Reeve personally."

"Reeve had to hot-foot it out of here with Valentine after we regained the town, left me in charge."

"Nevertheless-"

"Achh laddie, you know me well enough! Anything you got to say to Reeve you say to me, we're one and the same!"

One and the same? Elena found it hard to fathom how that might be. How could this small animatronic cat, perched neatly on the wooden table in front of them surrounded by a circle of grim-faced WRO infantrymen, be in anyway related to the former Shin-Ra executive? Everything about it, from its odd mannerisms to its thick distinctive accent was completely out of sync with what little she knew of Reeve Tuesti.

Tseng paused, a grim look on his face, below him the cat cocked its head expectantly.

"What happened here?" Tseng asked, apparently deciding to go along with the robot.

"Deep Ground! That's what happened, plain and simple!" Cait Sith cried, gesticulating with gloved hands, "Wham! Right out from the skies, scores of 'em! Knocked the town for six!"

"So it's true then?" Tseng asked calmly.

"It's all true! Every wee word of it. All that stuff in Scarlet's old files- Deep Ground, the Tseviets, everything!" The cat rocked frantically back and forth on its haunches, nearly dislodging the crown on its head in the process. Elena blinked, the sheer surrealness of being debriefed by a robotic cat made it hard for her to fully comprehend the situation at hand. Deep Ground? Deep Ground was real. Deep Ground had struck. What was Deep Ground? An old Shin-Ra secret, a name on a file she had never actually seen, only heard of. A file she'd nonetheless risked Rufus' wrath to persuade him to give up to the WRO. Now what? Was this her doing? She felt sick to her stomach.

"Where is the army now?"

"Gone! Poof!" Cait Sith flung his arms up into the air in exclamation, a few brightly coloured sparks flying out from his fingertips like a conjuror's trick, "Quick as they came they were off again!"

"Any idea what they were after?"

"None yet. All we know is they took hostages with 'em. Few witnesses saw 'em loading folk onto trucks. There's a few dozen people currently unaccounted for, maybe more, we don't know yet."

"Are there no prisoners you could interrogate?"

"Hee, hee! You Turks don't change much do ya? No, no prisoners, only bodies- these lot fight to the death, no surrender!"

Tseng sighed and lowered his head a fraction, when he spoke again his voice was steely and determined; "The President will want full intelligence about what took place here tonight."

"Ach, no doubt laddie, no doubt!" Cait Sith agreed, bobbing his crowned head up and down as he did so. "And he'll be getting it I'm sure! There are a couple questions Reeves would like to ask him himself."

"We'll see," Tseng replied guardedly, "In the mean time I'd like to have a look around the area myself."

The cat nodded and waved a gloved paw in supplication, "Fine, fine- you twos go ahead now. The coast is clear, we've seen to that, don't yous worry!"

***

The bodies of the fallen townsfolk had been taken to the church. Laid out in uniform rows they occupied almost every inch of available space, stretching the length of the altar and along the wooden floorboards of the nave. The place was thick with a quiet sorrow when the two Turks entered, the fiery chaos outside muffled by the strong oak doors. The few WRO officers standing watch were doing so with respectful silence, displaying none of the anger and panic that was filling the faces of their co-fighters outside. Scattered across the length of the church, small pockets of surviving townspeople stood mourning their loved ones.

Feeling useless and obsolete Elena could think of nothing else to do other than to pick her way slowly across the floor of the church, looking down to acknowledge the death lined up either side of her. It was an awful sight; she had obviously not had enough experience as a Turk to yet be used to such violence... part of her wondered if she ever would.

The most savaged bodies had been covered with makeshift blankets. There weren't enough coverings to go around however and many were left open to view. Considering each in turn like some grisly inspection line Elena could see that the majority had been shot- clean, efficient bullet wounds to the head or chest. Some unfortunate individuals however displayed more extensive wounds- visible teeth and claw marks, as if they had been savaged by some wild animal. With a small shiver Elena wondered if the Deepground army were entirely human.

"To think that he survived the Stigma for this!"

"Don't my love, don't!"

Baffled, Elena looked up from her to see an elderly couple standing a few metres ahead of her, their greying heads bowed in contemplation over a small body at their feet. Sensing Elena's proximity, the man looked up and turned his face towards her. It only took him a second to register the tell-tale uniform before his features morphed into an angry, accusing expression. Elena stared back mutely, she wanted to protest his hate-filled expression, to tell him it wasn't her fault, that it wasn't her company's fault either, that those who were to blame had long since met their end. But before she could give voice to her emotions another voice spoke out, interrupting her thoughts.

"Are these all the bodies?"

Even though he had kept his tone low and restrained, Tseng's words pierced uncomfortably through the stillness of the church. Turning around Elena saw her commander addressing one of the senior WRO officers.

"All we've found so far." The officer replied in a clipped, bitter tone.

"What about the invading army? I don't see any of them here."

"Outside." The guard replied stiffly.

"Show me."

***

Dogs and humans piled up together in a grisly heap, no distinction made, merely the bodies of 'the enemy' cordoned off, out of the way ready for disposal.

"All up to their eyeballs in mako." The WRO officer commented dryly, poking one of the bodies with the corner of his boot.

"Any signs of Jenova infusion?" Tseng asked, casting his eyes gravely over the mass of dead.

The guard shrugged, "How'd you tell?"

"Some of them will need to be taken away for post-mortem, get a better idea of what we're dealing with." Pulling out his phone from his jacket Tseng stepped away to start making the necessary arrangements. With a repulsed sneer the officer took one last derisory look at the fallen Deep Ground soldiers before turning and making his way back to the church.

Left alone Elena stood uncertainly for a minute before making her way tentatively towards the bodies. Hesitating, she deliberated a second before crouching down to get a closer look at the nearest corpse. The unfamiliar uniform was soaked black around the chest, the work of numerous bullet wounds. She couldn't guess at the age or appearance of the fallen soldier, the face being covered by a mask reminiscent of the old Shin-Ra uniforms.

"_I never liked the whole mask thing...always preferable to be able to make eye-contact with one's troops." _The President's words, spoken in a sunlit Rocket Town came echoing back to Elena as she squatted half-shivering in the cold. Tentatively, and without really knowing why, she reached out a hand and grasped the corner of the mask, the material rough between her fingers. With a slight hitch to her breath she eased the fabric up a couple of inches, lowering her head a fraction nearer as she did so. Even in death the skin of the throat was disconcertingly pale, as if it had not seen daylight for a long, long time... maybe never. The thought stirred up an odd mixture of pity and revulsion in her mind. Steeling her breath she moved to hike the fabric further up to reveal the whole face...

"Elena!"

Half-jumping out of her skin Elena looked up from the body with a panicked expression. Tseng was standing a few yards off, a grim expression on his face. Feeling almost like an errant schoolchild caught in the act, she stumbled guiltily to her feet.

"There's nothing left to do here. We'll return to Edge and write-up our reports there. No doubt the President will be keen to know what took place tonight."

"Yes sir." Elena half-whispered. Straightening her stance she took a final anxious glance over her shoulder at the mass of faceless soldiers before following her commander back towards the helicopter.


	22. Chapter 22

_AU note: Ahoy-hoy readers! And a happy new year to you all, wherever you be! Hope you enjoy this new chapter, arriving a bit faster than the last one did. As always reviews are most appreciated, they are my payment for all the hours of work I put into this story! _

_Oh, and just to let you know I've been stealing again! A golden chocobo to whoever is first to correctly identify the novel from which a scene from this chapter was heavily*ahem* influenced (i.e. copied)._

It was with a tired shuffling gait that Elena made her way (late) into work. After having returned to Edge from her mission to Kalm she had barely caught any sleep the rest of the night. Her limbs seemed to ache from a residual cold that still clung after walking the streets of the devastated town. Whenever she had tried to close her eyes images of bodies, laid out in orderly rows along a church floor or bundled haphazardly in an alley way, filled her mind.

Entering the building however, Elena quickly found that the rest of the world was not sharing in her exhaustion. An undercurrent of excitement was already flowing through the entire Turks' office when the petit blonde stepped across the threshold. The young recruits were exchanging hurried looks and whispers, sneaking the occasional glance across the glass partition to where Tseng sat at his desk, as stoic and professional as always, his features not betraying the slightest hint of the numb fatigue Elena was currently experiencing.

Upon Elena's entrance several faces turned towards her in unison, Reno's included, looking at her with a curious eye as she passed by his desk. Trying her best to ignore this unwanted attention she immediately turned her attention to the computer screen in front of her, waiting impatiently for the system to boot up. The sound of a chair scraping against the floor, followed by sharp footsteps heading in her direction however informed Elena that her attempt to avoid attention had failed. Looking up reluctantly she found herself faced with the young girl trainee she had previously turfed out of her own desk.

"Is it true Elena?" The girl asked, intent eyes staring down at her superior.

"What?" Elena answered.

"Deep Ground! Are they real? Did you actually see them?"

Elena paused, a quick glance around the room told her that every set of eyes were currently focused on her. Forcing herself to look up again she made eye contact with the girl before giving a single nod.

The trainee gave a soft snort of disbelief before continuing with a string of follow up questions. "Will they be coming here next? Will we have to fight them?" the girl sounded more eager than scared to Elena's ears.

"I don't know Lux, I really don't."

"What about that broadcast last night?" This from another trainee sitting a few feet away, "That there was a declaration of war if nothing else!"

"What broadcast?" Elena asked confused.

"Didn't you hear it?" the recruit asked excitedly, "It was on all the channels! It was from their leader- he said he was gonna kill everyone, the entire human race!"

"Don't believe everything you see on TV kids." Reno said with a relaxed tone.

"But he did!" The young trainee pressed, "That's what he said- kill everyone! Slash, slaughter and squash!"

"He did not say squash Ellis!" Lux answered with a snipe.

"Well whatever, you get the gist!" Ellis answered in an offended tone.

"I still don't understand. What broadcast?"

Any answer Elena was hoping to get was cut short by Tseng stepping out from his own private office into the larger room. The silence that followed was palpable as several pairs of eyes turned to stare at him as he made his way across the floor. Only one voice spoke up when Tseng was nearly at the exit.

"Where you off to boss?" Reno called out.

"A meeting." Tseng replied simply, "make sure work gets done while I'm away."

The silence that filled the office only seemed to intensify once Tseng had left it. Being one of the closest to the door Reno stretched his skinny figure across his desk, straining to discern the moment when Tseng stepped into the elevator and closed the doors. At the faint 'ding' sound Reno immediately jumped up, the rest of the room reverberating with excited chatter from the newbies. Hurrying over to Rude the redhead slapped his partner on the arm before moving swiftly out of the office. Rude following behind stopped momentarily to look around with an air of authority, "Like the boss said, get to work!" he said before vanishing through the doorway.

Elena watched with burning curiosity. What in Gaia was going on? Looking around to make sure the others had settled back to their tasks at hand she tried as discreetly as possible to stand up and exit the room.

Once outside Elena turned to search for her two co-workers, she quickly spotted them at the end of the corridor close to the stairwell. Feet moving lightly across the polished floor Elena approached them hurriedly. Both were leaning over the brass banister looking down, Reno practically hanging off the railing. The new Shin-Ra head quarters in Edge were designed so that the floors were constructed around a large central atrium; a dizzying cavity of air stretching from the reception floor to the vaulted ceiling at the top. It was towards the ground floor that Reno and Rude were currently peering intently. Stepping up towards the railing Elena also peeped over the edge. She glanced over at Reno, his keen green eyes trained towards the very centre of the floor. Following his gaze Elena discerned two ant-like figures making their way from reception to the elevators.

"Yeah that's right," Reno muttered under his breath, eyes fixed on the two people below, "don't need to sneak in the back way this time do yer?" Twisting to face his partner he addressed Rude with a hurried, excited voice, "Told yer see? Didn't I tell ya?!"

"Could be anyone, can't tell from this far off." Rude answered, much to the redhead's vexation.

"Who is it?" Elena asked.

"Nooo man it's him! I'm telling ya, we're sleeping with the enemy big time now. Even inviting them over for coffee!"

Upon seeing the figures step into one of the elevators Reno straightened up quickly, turning to look at his two co-workers.

"Come on," he said, already turning back towards the stairwell, "It's only a couple of floors, we can beat 'em to it!"

"Beat who Reno?" Elena questioned, trying desperately to keep up as the two men started ascending the staircase, their hurried strides covering two or three steps at a time. "What's going on?"

Reno's only response was a laugh that bounced off the walls of the stairwell, echoing around the trio.

***

Their destination turned out to be the central meeting room of the Shin-Ra HQ, or at least the lobby outside it. Checking the bank of elevators Reno gave a triumphant crow when he saw that the elevator in question was still midway through its ascent.

"Reno, we shouldn't be here, we're gonna get caught!" Elena hissed, glancing anxiously towards the closed door of the meeting room.

"Well go back then." Reno replied with a nonchalant shrug.

Pouting, Elena looked between the redhead and his silent partner.

"Fine, I will then!" she retorted in an annoyed voice, crossing her arms defiantly. Just as she was turning on her heel however, the door to the meeting room opened and Tseng himself stepped out. Glancing between the three Turks his expression went from surprised to annoyed in a matter of milliseconds.

"What's going on? Would you mind telling me what you three are doing up here?" striding forward so that he was standing directly in front of them, Tseng looked expectantly around the three Turks. Elena could only stare back mutely, being as she was unable to say what _any _of them were doing up there at that precise moment.

"Jus' wanted to extend our welcome to our guest." Reno offered with a cocky smile. Tseng turned with a disapproving face towards the Turk.

"Don't you know this is delicate enough without you stirring up trouble? What the situation requires is diplomacy, not a possible punch-up on the 48th floor!" Tseng scowled with the air of an angry school teacher at his three truants, "I suggest you go back to your desks before-"

He was interrupted in the middle of his lecture by the announcing 'ding!' of the elevator. All four Turks turned simultaneously to see the doors slide open and two figures step out. The first was Reeve Tuesti, leader of the WRO, wearing an odd elaborate looking coat that stretched all the way down to his ankles, the gold embroidery giving the garment a distinctly military-air. The other figure, with his blonde spikes and oversized weapon was all too immediately recognisable.

A moment of complete silence filled the air as the two parties faced off. Finding himself faced with the four Turks Cloud's hand half-raised instinctively towards the hilt of his sword, before Reeve, looking across the scene, turned to Tseng, "Is this an ambush?" he asked with a bemused hike of an eyebrow.

Snapping into the role of ambassador, Tseng stepped aside to allow the two visitors passage. "If you will step into the meeting room, we will be commencing shortly."

"Alright Strife?" Reno inquired with a cocky air as the warrior passed him by, "Long time no see."

Turning his head, Cloud threw the Turk a suspicious glance. Reno in turn grinned openly and waggled his eyebrows. Not breaking off from his walking pace Cloud shifted his gaze away from Reno and onto the dark sunglasses of Rude, a look of steely defiance in his blue eyes. Stepping past the two men the last person he walked by was Elena herself. As with the other two Turks, Clouds gaze dropped down to focus on her, his eyes fixing on Elena's for a fraction of a second. She gasped and took an involuntary step backwards. Frowning slightly at the reaction, Cloud's pace slowed a little, his eyes lingering on the blonde Turk. Elena could feel the blood draining from her face but couldn't tear her own gaze away, instead she stared petrified into the pair of mako infused eyes.

"Cloud, you coming?" Reeve called out from the doorway of the meeting room. Turning towards his companion the former AVALANCHE leader forgot the strange behaviour of the female Turk and picked up his original pace. Upon entering the room Tseng closed the door behind him, pausing long enough to gesture none too discreetly at the other three Turks to leave.

"Well, who'd've thought you'd see the day?" Reno said with an ironic chuckle once the coast was clear, "I figure Shin-Ra must be going soft from the inside out. First we invite ol' spikey head to Healin Lodge, now this!"

"Weren't you the one phoning up to invite him the first time?" Rude enquired deadpan.

Reno scrunched his nose up distastefully, "Just following orders, jus' following orders- nothing to do with my own initiative!"

"Rarely is."

"What was that?" Reno asked, hiking an eyebrow at his partner.

"Hmmm, at least you didn't try to hit him with your magrod this time."

"Yeah well, this time I'm locked out of the meeting with or without Strife's help." Reno sighed, glancing towards the closed door. "Still, I bet we could've taken him this time if we'd chosen to, all three of us together eh? What'd'ya think Elena?... Elena?"

Frowning Reno stepped over to where his colleague still stood frozen to the spot, her face as white as a sheet. Studying her for a moment Reno shared a concerned glance with Rude before attempting again.

"Hellooo- Gaia to Elena! You in there?" Reaching out he attempted to place a hand on Elena's shoulder. At the first touch however Elena pulled back violently, wide eyes snapping towards Reno's direction as her body assumed an automatic defensive posture.

"Hey, hey, woah! It's just me yo!" Reno cried, holding his hands up in supplication.

"You alright Elena?" Rude asked from behind Reno's shoulder.

Elena looked between her two comrades with frightened eyes, breath coming out in short sharp bursts. She had no idea what was wrong, all she knew was that one glance from those glowing mako eyes and she'd suddenly felt trapped, terrified. A familiar stinging sensation emanated from the scars on her back and the very room around her appeared to darken and grow cold. Already in her mind the blue eyes of a minute ago had been replaced by green, slitted ones, accompanied by silver hair and soft taunting voices. Without thinking she turned quickly away from the meeting room, she had to get out, get away from there right now!

Pushing past the stunned figures of Rude and Reno, Elena stumbled unbalanced towards the elevators. Slamming her palm down on the call button she looked up desperately. A downwards arrow above one of the sets of doors indicated that one of the elevators was making its way towards her. Feeling decidedly faint as well as a little nauseous she quickly moved to position herself in front of the approaching carriage. Still it felt like an eternity of waiting before the 'ding!' finally came and the doors slid open. Taking a hurried step forward, Elena only had just about enough sense left in her to realise that someone was also attempting to step out of the elevator before she nearly collided with them. Recoiling sharply, her mind was hit with a fresh assault as she looked up to see none other than the President looking down at her, his face only a few inches from her own!

Rufus started, his eyes widening at the sight of Elena appearing in front of him at a floor of the building that was not her own. Stepping forward out of the elevator he appeared to recollect himself, a slight frown replacing the note of surprise upon his face.

"Elena, what are you-" the question died on his lips as he took in Elena's pale, trembling countenance.

"Good Gaia! What is the matter?" he demanded, perhaps with more feeling than would be considered politely appropriate.

"Nothing sir," Elena managed to gasp, the edges of her vision starting to blur and blacken, mind still reeling from the shocks it had received in such quick succession, "I'm fine, please. I- I was just making my way back to the office."

Rufus was not to be dismissed so easily however, bowing his head he looked down to gain a better view of Elena's pallid complexion.

"No, you are not well." He concluded after a moment's evaluation, "Come sit down a moment."

"Oh, please sir no, your meeting!" Elena protested feebly, even as Rufus took a firm hold of her arm and escorted her to a row of chairs at the far side of the room.

"It can wait." He muttered under his breath. Forcing her to sit by pressing down upon her shoulders, he knelt down in front of her, a hand rising to his mouth in a gesture of discomfort.

"Is there anything you need?" Rufus asked in a tender, coaxing tone, "A glass of water perhaps?"

"No sir." Elena replied meekly, head lowered with conscious embarrassment.

"Really you look very ill."

Elena could only shake her head, fighting to calm the panic attack that had gripped her even as her humiliation reached its peak. She thought she was getting better, that she had started to put the events that had taken place at the Northern Crater behind her. To find herself so deeply shaken, and by something as innocuous as a pair of eyes (mako-infused eyes, true), was deeply troubling. Mustering her courage she forced herself to raise her gaze to meet the President's concern filled eyes. "Please sir," she whispered, "I'll be alright." She paused for a second, hazel eyes locked with his own blue ones, "Please."

Taking in her quiet plea, Rufus held her gaze a moment longer, a somewhat wretched look upon his countenance. Finally he straightened up to his full height, lips tight with something that could either be concern or vexation. Looking around him his eyes quickly fell on Reno and Rude, who had slunk to the far side of the room at the start of his confrontation with Elena and now watched the scene with guarded curiosity.

"You two," Rufus said sharply, gesturing them closer, "your co-worker does not appear to be feeling well, make sure she makes it to her office safely."

Responding to the direct address the two Turks stepped up and shuffled cautiously towards Elena and the President.

"You okay Elena?" Rude asked with a soft voice. Nodding quietly Elena lifted herself with slightly shaky limbs into a standing position, all the time being careful to avoid the piercing eyes of the President. A few seconds of awkward silence passed in which nobody seemed sure of what to do before Rufus finally spoke up.

"Very well," he said in a somewhat muted voice, "if everything is under control here... I am expected in the next room."

"Don't worry sir, we'll look after her." Rude assured his boss. Looking up at the tall bald man Rufus gave a small nod before, with a final glance in Elena's direction, he turned and headed into the meeting room, closing the door behind him.

Without a word the remaining three Turks stepped towards the elevators, not a word said between them as they waited. It was only until one of the carriages had arrived and they were all safely inside, moving down, that Reno, who had been watching Elena with a questioning eye, finally opened his mouth.

"What's up with you?" he asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow.

"Nothing," Elena mumbled, "just felt a little faint that's all."

Reno tilted his head to the side and appeared to study her, "... you knocked up or something?"

"_What?! _No! Jeeze!" Elena yelled, her head snapping up at the presumptiveness of the query, "I... just skipped breakfast this morning, that's all." She petered off weakly.

Reno raised his eyebrows unconvinced at her lame excuse, but said no more.

Elena winced as, against her will, her mind replayed her exchange with Rufus, "Gods that was so unprofessional of me," she whined, half to herself, "what must the President think of me?"

"Probably thinks you're knocked up."

"_Reno, _put a sock in it will ya?!"

***

Halfway through the meeting and Reeve could not help but step back a moment mentally, smiling at the scene before him. It was as if someone had placed a mirror across the length of the table, the two sides presenting an equal but opposite symmetry. The two blonde figureheads had been sitting across from each other eyeing one another with a slightly macho, slightly sulky suspicion, for the past thirty minutes now. Cloud's silence was typical, Rufus however, appeared oddly distracted and had contributed little to the discussions up until then.

The parallels between the two struck Reeve as noteworthy; both blondes were young, almost similar ages he estimated, and both held an unusual amount of power for their years. Their appearance however was quite different, Rufus with his smoothed hair and immaculate white suit, Cloud dressed all in black and sporting trademark spikey locks.

Reeve knew from the onset this meeting was not going to be easy. Rufus had proved less than congenial about going into communications with his old-adversary this second time around. It was hardly surprising, the last time he had attempted such dealings with Cloud his advances had been rudely rebutted. Back then the Shin-Ra company had been weak and Rufus himself had been under threat. Now Shin-Ra's power was slowing regrowing and with it the President's sense of affronted pride. Likewise Cloud was in no way at ease at being seen to be in cahoots with the corporation, be it for whatever reasons. Nevertheless he had been helping the WRO better understand this new threat in the form of Deep Ground, and Reeve had persuaded him, after some considerable effort, that cooperation with Shin-Ra was the best course of action.

As the two blondes did not appear inclined to talk, most of the meeting had been left to their respective associates to conduct. Again Reeve could appreciate the similarities between himself and the suited figure opposite him. It was the job of both himself and Tseng to ensure the smooth running of their respective companies. To make sure the wheels turned, and the jobs got done, be it with the help, or indeed sometimes the hindrance, of their fellow co-workers. Reminded of this Reeve attempted a weak smile in Tseng's direction, the head of the Turks however just glanced at him curiously before continuing with another question.

"How many citizens are classed as missing now?"

"With the attack on Kalm yesterday night, and the disappearances in Junon, we estimate Deep Ground have so far accrued around close to a thousand hostages." Reeve answered grimly.

"You cannot expect to keep this underwraps anymore, not with so many now missing."

"I fear you are right." Reeve sighed, "By keeping the scale of the attacks hidden from public awareness we were hoping to avoid mass hysteria- it feels inevitable now."

"Do you have any intelligence as to where the hostages were taken and why?"

"For what purpose we don't know yet. We believe the missing people are being held somewhere within the Midgar ruins."

"You believe? How can you be sure?"

"Don't you hear them, at night?" Reeve asked, a wistful look suddenly crossing his face, "The sounds of a thousand lost voices on the wind?"

Frowning slightly, Rufus seemed to snap out of whatever revelry had been holding him. Turning his head towards the WRO commissioner, he considered Reeve with a dubious look.

"Eh? What did you say? Can I hear the what now?"

"The sound of a thousand souls-"

"Yesss, I thought that's what you said." Rufus interrupted facetiously before throwing Tseng a side on glance. Turning back to Cloud he smirked.

"Your boss has quite the poetic streak about him." He commented dryly.

"He's not my boss." Cloud answered back deadpan.

"Ah, still plying the old delivery boy trade then?" Rufus asked, appearing to perk up for the first time in the meeting.

"...." Cloud said nothing in response, just remained tight-lipped.

"Tell me, what are the costs to profit ratios." Rufus continued to goad, settling into his new game, "Given that you can only carry at most two or three packages on that overgrown bike of yours?"

"Sir," Tseng attempted.

"What happens say if someone asks you to deliver a sofa?"

"Could we get back to the matter at hand?" Reeve broke in peevishly, "Developments are intensifying; you no doubt saw the message that was broadcast shortly after the assault on Kalm?"

"You mean the broadcast from that so called leader of theirs. What was he called?"

"Weiss."

"'Slashed, strangled and slaughtered," Rufus quoted with a sneer, "yes, how delightful. I especially liked the maniacal laughter at the end, a nice touch I thought."

"He likes to make speeches, just like yourself." Cloud commented sourly.

Rufus' smirk dropped, replaced by an angry scowl as he turned to face his former enemy.

"You call that a speech? It was nothing more than the ravings of a lunatic- and a farcical one at that! Why, the man is so nefarious as to inspire mockery! At least Sephiroth had some class about him, you cannot deny that!" he added quickly, even as Cloud started to open his mouth in protest. "As for this Weiss character, I do not know whether to be concerned or amused!"

"Concerned Rufus," Reeve answered with a grave voice, "definitely concerned."

Rufus gave a short huff. Why he had agreed to have a meeting with the three most humourless men on the planet Gain only knew!

"Very well then, what do you propose we do Commissioner Reeve?"

"Midgar needs to be investigated," Tseng spoke up, "If the missing people are located there then a rescue mission will need to be set up post haste."

"How do you propose getting anyone in there? It sounds like a suicide mission."

"Perhaps this could be a job for Cait Sith. He could do the reconnaissance work for us and report back." Reeve suggested, looking between the other three for confirmation.

Rufus frowned and cocked his head to the side. "Cait Sith..." he repeated in a thoughtful voice before brightening with recollection, "Oh yes I remember, that little toy feline you were so fond of." Smiling sardonically the President leant back in his chair, "I had a cat once." He reflected with a sentimental air, "Some thug killed it. Honestly, people today!"

Cloud tightening his jaw but said nothing in response to Rufus' continued provocations.

"Using Cait Sith to infiltrate Midgar sounds like an excellent idea." Tseng commented, moving quickly to defuse the situation.

"Agreed then," Reeve said with a nod. He paused a moment before turning to face Rufus once again. "I would also suggest that you, as the President, move to a safer location for the time being."

"Out of the question," Rufus retorted promptly, "next!"

"These people are more than likely going to hold a grudge against Shin-Ra, Rufus."

"I am not about to be forced into hiding by a shirtless madman if that's what you're implying."

"It may not be just a matter of revenge." Cloud commented monotonely.

"What do you mean?" Rufus asked quickly, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

Reeve shifted uncomfortably in his seat, while Cloud remained staring levelly ahead.

"_What does he mean?" _Rufus reiterated, turning squarely towards Reeve.

"There... would appear to be a pattern in Deep Ground's targeting so far." The Commissioner explained somewhat reluctantly, "Not counting our own people who were lost in combat, Deep Ground has been almost exclusively killing those who had previously been infected with the Stigma."

For the first time a hush filled the meeting room. Rufus considered Reeve, his face expressionless, not even surprise registering in his features. Then, with a light flicker of the eyes he turned his gaze towards Cloud. The ex-AVALANCHE leader returned the look without hostility, as the two men silently acknowledged a common episode in each of their histories.

"Wiping out the tainted." Rufus spoke the words so softly as to be almost inaudible.

"You're situation is highly vulnerable Rufus," Reeve said in a matter-of-fact tone, "you need to take steps to protect yourself."

"And what about you?" Rufus demanded, addressing Cloud rather than Reeve, "what steps are you taking to protect yourself?"

"I've taken those I care about to safety."

Rufus smacked his lips shut, but pressed no further. For a moment he leant back in his chair, a distant look in his eyes. Then with a slight frown the instant passed and he turned back to Reeve, a determined expression on his face.

"What steps are being taken to defend the city?" He asked with a sharp, authoritative voice.

And with that the meeting continued.

***

Upon finishing the conference Rufus made his way directly to his own Presidential office. Tseng followed unbidden, clearly believing there was more to discuss between the two of them. Rufus however said not a word, but simply sat down at his desk and started going over some documents laid out in front of him.

Tseng watched for a minute before speaking up,

"Permission to speak bluntly sir."

"If you're going to say what I think you're going to say then I wouldn't bother." Rufus clipped petulantly, not looking up from his desk.

Tseng frowned, then decided to continue anyway.

"It is not safe for you to stay in Edge."

"As I told Reeve, I am not going anywhere."

"I wish you would reconsider sir."

"I am not about to be seen running off at the first whiff of danger!" Rufus looked up to face the head of the Turks, his eyes flashing with an inner defiance, "This is _my _city and _my _company! I stayed with this company when it was under attack, be it from remnants or WEAPONs, and I intend to do so again now!"

"Yes, and look what good it did you!" Tseng answered, his own voice rising slightly in return, "Both times you came within inches of death. Do you think your luck will see you through a third time?!"

Rufus glared at him a moment before leaning back into his chair.

"This planet, this Lifestream, works upon a cycle." He answered in a somewhat philosophical tone, "History has repeated itself once before, let it do so again, it is inevitable. We shall follow as life dictates and, if the planet wills it, we will survive once more."

"You're beginning to sound like Reeve." Tseng noted deadpan.

"Take that back, this instant!" Rufus snapped irritably.

"Must you be so stubborn?" Tseng asked in an exasperated voice.

"Can't help it, it's in my nature!" The President said, turning back towards his papers.

Tseng exhaled slowly, he watched the young President for a minute in silence, his face dark with thunder as he weighed up the options available to him.

"Very well." He eventually sighed with a resigned air, "If you insist upon staying-"

"I do."

"Then you will need protection. I'll set up a twenty-four hour guard, covered by myself and the other three senior Turks."

The hand that had been moving to turn a page of one of the documents stilled at these words. Rufus flinched, and for the first time during their conversation seemed to falter.

"No," he said carefully, after a drawn out pause, "I don't think so."

"What?" Tseng asked incredulously.

"It is unnecessary." Rufus clipped.

"I beg your pardon sir, but given the circumstances I think it is very necessary!"

"And what good would one Turk be against the entire force of Deep Ground?" Rufus retorted, his voice rising in volume as he stood suddenly to his feet, taking the head Turk by surprise, "You said so yourself, there are thousands of them."

"I doubt they would be much good at all sir," Tseng replied grimly, staring back at the angry face of the President, "I expect they would die along with yourself."

"Then why put them in the situation at all? I won't allow it!"

"It is their job to protect you sir."

Rufus turned sharply away, a still rage emanating from his body. From his position Tseng observed his employer in silence. For whatever reason this last exchange had done more to disquiet Rufus than any of the preceding arguments. Sensing the wavering resolve of the President, Tseng decided to press home his advantage.

"It is not just yourself who is under threat sir." He said, addressing Rufus' back with carefully chosen words, "You also have a responsibility to your workforce." The Turk paused, waiting for a response from the President, none came.

"Take them somewhere safe." Tseng continued, "At least until we have a better idea of what we are dealing with. There is no shame in being cautious on behalf of those who are dependent on you."

Rufus stared with a cold hard glare out of the window onto the city below. Inside his head a battle of wills was being fought. He had sworn he would keep her at a distance, at least until this madness had passed. And oh, it had not passed, he knew that well enough! Had it not been less than an hour ago that he had made an ass of himself outside the meeting room? Grovelling at her feet, exposing his feelings for all to see! By the look in her eyes he could tell she had seen it, before turning away from him in embarrassment. It shamed him to the very core.

But at the same time he knew he had little choice. The same feelings that he fought to crush, that he would push her away for, were the same feelings that now compelled him to draw her close, out of danger.

"Very well," he spoke the words in a near whisper, not taking his eyes from the window, "the Turks will leave Edge with me. All other non-essential departments will be disbanded temporarily."

Tseng looked up, mildly surprised at having achieved the near impossible- getting Rufus to change his mind, and under such a short time frame as well! Reluctant to push his luck, he took a breath before adding his one last proviso.

"Very good, sir. But it cannot be all Turks."

Rufus spun sharply around at this, taking the head Turk aback with the ferocity of his glare.

"What do you mean?" he demanded icily.

"Some will need to remain in order to liaise with the WRO."

"I thought you just said it was a death sentence to keep any Turks here!"

"A Turk standing alone in the front line, yes." Tseng answered calmly, "What I am suggesting is sending one as a representative of the company into the ranks of the WRO. We need to be kept up to date somehow."

Rufus' eyes lowered by way of conciliation, his response, when it came, given in a calmer voice than before, though one still laced with discomfort.

"So what is it to be? Who stays and who goes?"

"That is up to you sir."

Rufus raised a hand to his mouth. He could still keep her here, under the protection of the WRO. She would never be directly involved in any fighting, he would get Reeve's assurances on that. Besides, wasn't it her job as a Turk? Still, the image of how she had looked outside the meeting room, her tiny frame, pale and trembling, was enough to shoot down the notion before it had barely formed.

"I will want someone who knows the ropes," he spoke the words with careful precision, avoiding looking Tseng directly in the eye as he did so, "not another rookie who needs breaking in."

"Reno then sir, or Elena-"

"Yes, Elena will do fine." Rufus answered, perhaps a little too quickly, half-turning in the process.

Tseng blinked as he stared at the motionless profile of the President. Within the calm rationale of Tseng's mind a small warning bell was sounding.

"Very well sir," he answered somewhat hesitantly, "I will start arrangements immediately."

"Good," Rufus said, still not turning to face his employee, "I wish to depart first thing in the morning."

***

Tseng did not return immediately to the office following the end of his exchange with Rufus. Instead he found himself loitering within the lobby of the Presidential floor, staring out over the railing down into the vast atrium below, the same spot, but a few floors up, from where Reno, Rude and Elena had spied on Cloud and Reeve from. Something was up but he could not tell what. The President had been acting off-colour ever since his return. While experience reminded him that Rufus was quite capable of getting into bad tempers, they never lasted as long as this current episode. He had been sharp and irritable for weeks now. What was more, he appeared especially disinclined towards the Turks of late. It had baffled and annoyed Tseng at first; after putting up so much talk and hype into building up the Department of General Affairs, Rufus had suddenly come back adverse to the whole project, actively avoiding having any involvement or contact with the Turks. Why? Something had obviously taken place to disturb the President during his expedition, though what Tseng could not even begin to discern.

And then there was that strange episode with Elena on the way to Kalm. She had spoken of the President in almost knowing, familiar terms. Tseng frowned to himself thoughtfully. Elena had been with the President throughout the trip, perhaps she could shed some light on the situation.

Now was not the time to be concerning himself with such details however. Banishing such worrisome demons from his head Tseng turned away and made his way back to his own floor. It was with a determined stride that he stepped into the office, not pausing for an instance he called out to the rest of the Turks in a loud authoritative voice.

"Listen up everyone, we're moving out. Presidential orders! I want all critical files and databases backed up on portable memory devices, we're talking weapons stores, material lists that sort of thing. Reno," he said pointed to the dazed looking Turk at the far desk, "you're in charge of organising transportation, we're setting off overseas at 6am sharp, first port of call will be Costa del Sol. Rude, get in touch with the WRO, you're staying behind to liaise with them."

"What?" Reno protested loudly, "how come Rude gets to liaise with the WRO while I'm stuck playing air hostess? I wanna liaise!"

"Reno, when you show the first signs of diplomacy you will get to liaise, until that time stop whining and follow orders. Anyone not sure what they're doing I refer you to one of the senior Turks, those not doing anything at all please leave now as you're clearly surplus to requirements!"

"You mean we're just gonna run away? We're not gonna fight?!"

Pausing in his commands Tseng turned in the direction of the shrill address. An uneasy silence filled the room as the head of the Turks gazed levelly at the young lank-haired girl standing defiantly before him.

"It is not your place as a trainee to be questioning orders." Tseng replied in a low warning voice.

"But it's not right!" Lux cried back defiantly, "Turks don't run away from danger! We should be fighting these creeps, not sunning it in the Costa del Sol!"

"Need I remind you that your first priority as a Turk is to protect the company, the President? The WRO is more than capable of looking after things this end."

"But-"

"That's enough!" Tseng snapped decisively, turning away from Lux and heading in the direction of his own office. Reaching Elena's desk Tseng stopped a moment to look down at the blonde Turk while the rest of the office flew into pandemonium behind him.

"Elena."

Apprehensively Elena looked up at her boss, unsure of what was about to come.

"As of tomorrow you're back on Presidential guard duties. Make sure you have all current reports and paperwork finished before then."

Elena could not help the look of shock that passed across her face, her mouth dropping open in surprise.

"Sir? I mean, yes sir!" she managed to bleat out in a strained voice.

Tseng nodded thoughtfully, still looking down at her. For a moment he looked as if he might say something more but then appeared to think better of it and instead turned away with a small frown.

For a long time Elena sat there numb. She was dimly aware of the commotion going on around her, Reno's loud voice spouting commands at the newbie Turks. The President? Rufus? She was going to meet him again, be his bodyguard no less! And after what had happened only an hour or so before! Oh gods how could she? She didn't think she could face it!

Shaking her head Elena took a deep breath and tried to wrest her attention away from such thoughts and onto the work at hand. Despite her looming disgrace she was still a Turk and still had a job to do. Slowly and despondently she started to drag her way through the list of unfinished jobs that lay upon her desk. The work would stretch on for hours, another night without much rest. Yet it had to be done, and so with a sickening heart Elena began to prepare for her second journey to the Western Continent with the President.

It was a journey she would never make.


	23. Chapter 23

_AU note: *Peeks out from behind a rock* Er, hi guys! Did you miss me? I'm so heartily ashamed about how long it's been since I last updated, I expect many of you had given up on me! And to leave the last chapter on such an ominous note as well! So, so sorry, can you forgive me? In my defence I blame life and an especially difficult chapter to write._

_Enough of my grovelling however, I guess you wanna get back to the story. Now then, where did we leave poor Elena last...._

An office is a lonely place to be at ten o'clock at night. Everything seems suddenly so much more oppressive: The constant buzz of the air-conditioning, the stale smell of coffee still lingering in the air, the harsh fluorescent lighting bouncing off the glass exterior until it felt like it was almost penning her in.

Elena hated working late.

But with reports to finish and her imminent mission to Costa del Sol the next morning she had little choice in the matter.

Costa del Sol.... the President. She would be working with the President again. The very thought was enough to start up a nervous, unsettled fluttering in her guts. Surely she should be calmer this second time! Why then did she feel worse?

Pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers Elena frowned, fighting to refocus her attention and muster up the motivation to move onto the next page of text sitting in front of her. Perhaps another coffee would give her the stimulation she needed to plough on through...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sharp demanding sound of a telephone. Looking up she could see that the phone in question was the one situated on Rude's desk, the flashing light of the incoming call alert being just visible from where she sat. With a small frown of annoyance Elena tried her best to block out the persistent ringing. Who in Gaia could be calling anyway? No one with any kind of life would be caught in the office at this hour! Realising the irony of this last thought Elena's scowl deepened even further and she turned back to her work with a renewed determination.

It was with a small sigh of relief that she heard whoever was phoning finally give up and end the call. Focusing on the page in front of her Elena concentrated on re-reading the same paragraph that she had been battling with for the past ten minutes. Oh how she wished she could just drag her tired bones home, would it really be so awful if she put-off some of this mountain of paperwork, at least until the next day? Perhaps she could take some of it with her to Costa del Sol...

*RIIING!*

The same shrill noise assaulted her senses once again, only this time louder and from a different part of the room. Head snapping up sharply Elena glared daggers at the new source of vexation; this time the phone on Reno's desk.

"He's not here!" she called out with frustration. The inanimate object paid her little heed however and continued with its ringing. Grinding her teeth Elena attempted to wait it out. But this time the caller was more persistent; after the tenth or twelfth ring Elena threw down her pen in exasperation and pushed back her chair, its legs scraping noisily against the floor. Angrily rising to her feet she manoeuvred around her own desk and stomped the short distance to Reno's workspace. Just as she was reaching out across the clutter of papers to take hold of the handset however, the phone abruptly cut off.

Elena snorted with annoyance, "Oh for Gaia's sake!" she muttered, inwardly cursing whatever prankster was giving her the run around.

Now that she was away from her desk, Elena found herself strangely reluctant to return and get back to filling out reports. Instead she wandered over to the glass-panelled exterior of the office, gazing absently out as she stretched her limbs. Most of the view was obscured by the harsh interior lights reflecting back from the glass and Elena found herself staring forlornly at her own image. From what she could make out the city of Edge lay dark and grim below her. Electricity was sparse these days, a valued commodity now that the great mako-reactors lay dormant and rusting. It was as much a show of power and strength as of practicality that the new Shin-Ra HQ was kept illuminated once night fell. Much the same dominant gesture as when the company built the towering monument in the very centre of the city.

All was not entirely dark however. Looking again Elena could make out a faint glow from the West of the city. Residual light from the setting sun perhaps? No, it was far too late in the day for that. Again Elena smiled to herself bitterly; most likely a party of some kind, people having fun, not stuck in an office.

Or maybe the moon? She dimly recalled that the moon had been full the previous night, illuminating the wreckage that lay across the streets of Kalm. Had it only been a night ago? It felt like an age. Still, tonight it was cloudy and the moon, wherever it was, was hidden from view. Elena sighed. Somewhere below a helicopter passed by; the sound of its rotors swelling momentarily before fading off into the distance.

*RIINNGGG!*

The sound made Elena wince- not again! Tilting her head to the side she saw that this time the offending phone was her own, positioned neatly at the corner of her desk. Exhaling slowly she started to make her way towards the device. The fact that the person (presuming it was the same caller) had tried three times suggested it might be important, though part of Elena was a little peeved that she had been third choice of contact, after Rude and Reno.

Reaching the phone at the fifth ring she lifter the receiver and held it up to her ear.

"Hel-"

Without warning the entire building roared and lurched violently, the sudden force knocking Elena forwards onto her desk. Hip jarring painfully against the sharp edge of the wood she was dimly aware of the phone flying from her grasp under the strength of the impact. For a moment all was noise and pain and shattering glass as shockwaves ran up the sides of the building.

Stunned, Elena slid off the desk, collapsing on all fours, splinters of glass digging into her palms. Looking up she stared out in disbelief. The window that she had been looking out of only seconds ago was gone, leaving nothing but a dark empty void through which the cold night air came quickly rushing in.

Raising a shaky hand she managed to grasp the edge of her desk and started to pull herself up into a half-kneeling position, eyes wide with shock.

What had happened? An earthquake?

Casting her gaze around wildly Elena tried to take it in. The office looked wrong, unnatural, the remnants of the window strewn everywhere. Yet despite the carnage the scene seemed unnervingly tranquil, the only noise coming from the gentle fluttering of papers, stirred up by the unexpected breeze. It came of little surprise to the stunned Turk when, with a silent flicker, the lights gave out, plunging her surroundings into darkness, it almost felt fitting given the peaceful aftermath.

The building however, seemed to recover quicker than Elena; the soft stillness lasted all of five seconds before an almighty clanging, ear-piercing scream cut through the air and water started raining down in all directions. It was like the belated wail of a child, too shocked at first to realise it had been hurt then suddenly bursting into tears.

Elena tried to get her head together through the relentless claxon of the fire alarm. A quick glance back towards the shattered window revealed coils of ominous looking smoke starting to spiral upwards from somewhere below, the acrid stench already blowing into the room, growing stronger by the second.

'_Fire!'_ she thought breathlessly, _'The HQ is on fire!'_

Out, she had to get out! Stumbling to her feet Elena managed a couple of uncertain steps, ignoring the stinging sensations of her lacerated hands. She had made it half way across the room when, through the deafening screams of the alarm, another, familiar sound began to materialise, making Elena stop and turn once more to face the outside. A rhythmic chopping noise was discernible, intensifying until suddenly out of the darkness the body of a helicopter came lifting up from the plumes of smoke.

Eyes widening Elena cowered before leaping down behind a desk. The craft was intimidatingly close and unmistakable. With realisation came greater panic as Elena crouched lower down, praying that she had avoided being spotted. Around her was chaos as the helicopter scanned the office; harsh, searching beams of light cut through the darkness, and the whirl of the blades stirred hundreds of papers wildly into the air. For a few seconds the drone of the engine fought to complete with the relentless wail of the alarm, until Elena thought her eardrums might burst. Finally the helicopter moved, continuing with its ascent and darkness, if not quiet, returned.

Thoroughly soaked from the sprinkler system, Elena sat shivering, head pressed against the side of the desk, all thoughts of escape momentarily swept away by her sudden revelation. She had recognised the craft instantly, having seen its likeness only the day before, lying wrecked and aflame in Kalm's market square.

Deep Ground! Deep Ground was attacking Edge, sooner than anticipated, sooner than anyone had prepared for! It had only been a matter of hours since the first assault on Kalm, what kind of army was it that could rally itself again in such a short a space of time?

Before she had time to think further Elena became aware of a strange fluttering sensation against her chest, far too fast to be her own heartbeat, however much adrenaline was currently pumping through her system. Falteringly she glanced down at her jacket before slipping a hand inside and pulling out her cell phone. How long it had been ringing for she had no idea, possibly since the time she had dropped the desk phone. The blue glow from the display screen briefly illuminated her pale face as she looked at the name of the caller, with a wave of relief she hurriedly pressed the accept button and lifted the phone to her ear.

"_Sir!"_ she yelled down the cell trying to make her voice discernible though the ongoing cry of the fire alarm, "sir, the HQ is under attack! It's Deep Ground!"

"Yes, I know." Tseng's voice came back strained but firm, "they're laying siege to the whole city."

"What should we do sir?" Elena cried, a little ashamed at the high-pitched, squeaky tone her voice had adopted.

"The WRO are already mobilising their troops. Are you still in the HQ?"

"Yes sir, it's been hit, a missile attack or something, I don't know, there was a helicopter!"

"Elena, calm down." Tseng spoke up over her gabber, "Now listen carefully, is the President with you?"

"_What?"_ Elena squeaked, momentarily thrown by the question, "The President? I.. no, no he isn't, I don't know, should he be?"

On the other end of the phone she heard Tseng curse under his breath.

"What is it sir?"

"We've lost contact with the President. He's not answering on any line, and he's not at his home."

"Kidnapped sir?" Elena gasped, eyes growing even larger at this unwelcome thought.

"We don't know that yet. Elena, I need you to search the upper floors, get back to me as soon as you have word."

"Yes sir, I-"

"Be careful." Tseng interrupted before cutting the call.

Staring at the now silent phone Elena sat there for a moment, the relief she had felt at this fleeting contact rapidly disintegrating once more into cold feelings of isolation and dread. She was alone, alone and vulnerable in a building under attack from an unknown enemy. Despair was quick to blossom in her head, along with it the urge to flee, or at least to hide. It was the same sensation she had felt when held captive in the Northern Crater. Back then escape had been at the forefront of her mind every conscious moment, though the opportunity had never arisen. Now she had the chance to do just that, to run, to escape from this burning building, and part of her brain screamed at her to do so. But yet another part acknowledged the orders she had been given, her duty as a Turk. Besides which there was a chance the President could also be alone, left trapped and vulnerable in one of the upper floors...

Gritting her teeth in determination Elena replaced the phone in her jacket pocket before taking a breath and slowly peering over the edge of the desk. The sky outside the shattered window was dark and vacant. There didn't look to be any sign of the Deep Ground helicopter but she couldn't be certain. Yet there was no time to lose. With a newfound sense of urgency the young Turk started up from her crouched position and made her way hurriedly back to her own desk.

Just as she reached the spoiled heap of paperwork however her straining ears caught the faint rumble of an approaching engine. Ducking reflexively, Elena rolled behind her desk just as the enemy helicopter flew into view once more, its search beams sending light and shadows through the wasted office. Its mission clearly not over, the helicopter was lingering around the Shin-Ra building, searching. Trapped once more Elena briefly deliberated over whether to wait to give the aircraft time to pass, or to make a break for it. She had little choice, the need for action was too great. With careful movements, she very slowly began to ease her body around the corner of the desk. By stretching out her arm she found she was able to pull open the far side drawer. Not daring to stand up Elena thrust her hand into the drawer and fumbled blindly, eyes still riveted on the actions of the Deep Ground helicopter, praying that the eyesight of the artificially-enhanced pilots inside was still not sharp enough to detect her subtle movements. It was with a flash of relief that Elena felt her fingertips finally press up against cold metal and, with a short exhalation, she twisted her hand around the handle of her gun. Retreating her arm quickly out of the desk she felt a slight calm now that she was properly armed, the small Turk-issue revolver was likely no match against the armoured helicopter outside but its presence and familiarity was nonetheless reassuring.

Just then the helicopter appeared to give up, swinging its nose away from the window it dipped down to a lower level. Seizing the chance Elena jumped to her feet and sprinted for the exit. At the last moment she pulled up before, raising her gun in preparation, she slowly nudged open the door. Hesitantly Elena stepped out of the office and made her way towards the central stairwell. Thankfully all was not pitch black; the emergency lights were still functioning, dull green boxes of light over each exit, illuminating the way for an escape route... or an entry point. With quick, furtive steps she made her way to the balcony that ran around the heart of the building. She need not have been so careful however, outside the office the alarm was booming through the core of the building, drowning out all other sounds. Peeping over the railing Elena looked down into the floors below. Smoke was filtering out into the atrium, funnelling upwards to the floors above, though where its source was Elena still could not tell, only that it was coming from below. Raising an arm to cover her mouth she attempted to peer through the fumes, searching for any other signs of movement but there were none, all below was darkness.

Not stopping to waste anymore time the Turk turned and headed quickly up the stairs. She could only hope that what few other occupants might be in the building could make it out safely by themselves, right now she had orders to obey. Taking the steps two at a time, Elena hurtled up the floors towards the Presidential level. By the time she made it, tired and breathless, the deserted corridors were already lined with water and her boots splashed against the floor as she hurried her way pass the empty secretary's desk to the heavy wooden doors that marked Rufus' office.

Slamming her shoulder against the wood she heaved the door open, a shout already on her lips- "_Sir!"_

Bounding into the office however, Elena quickly skidded to a halt. The room was perfectly still, amongst the deep shadows she could make out the desk chair, empty, he was not there.

Anguish flooded over her as Elena stood in the semi-darkness panting. She was sure Rufus would have been there, where else could he be? Uncertain as to what to do or where to look next the Turk lingered in the doorway, one hand still limply curled around the door handle. The clamour of the alarm was somewhat muffled by the thick walls of the office and even in the pandemonium playing out around her Elena suddenly felt strangely exhausted. This attack on head quarters, all this panic and destruction, reminded her of the last days of Midgar. At least back then she had been in the company of her fellow Turks, now there was no one around to help her and for a moment she had no clue what to do.

Looking out towards the window behind the desk Elena could see that the glass at this top level had cracked, but not yet shattered from the earlier strike. Beyond the window the same menacing glow across the far side of the city she had contemplated back in her own office was again visible. With a sinking heart Elena now realised that it was the glow from some enormous fire, indeed now that the building lights were off she could make out the orange flare from the blaze quite clearly. Edge was burning.

A sharp buzz pulled her thoughts away from the cracked window to the desk in front of her, making her heart jump in surprise. Spying a small square of light illuminated against the woodwork Elena took a step forward for closer inspection. With a gasp she recognised it as a cell phone, the sound switched off but the frame still vibrating from the incoming call. Snapping her head up Elena scanned wildly around, narrowing her eyes to try to see through the darkness of the room.

He was standing by the very edge of the window frame, the normally striking white suit barely visible within the shadowy corner of the room. Hands grasped behind his back the man she had been searching for was staring out onto the city, a small frown across his otherwise statue-like stance.

Forgetting the buzzing phone Elena stumbled breathlessly around the desk. Upon reaching Rufus she reached out without thinking and grabbed hold of his jacket sleeve, pulling sharply at the fabric as she cried out with elation.

"Sir!"

Rufus made no response to the address, nor to the tug at his sleeve. Turning her head once more Elena glanced out of the window to determine what could be distracting the President, but all she could see was the same fire as before. Turning back to him Elena pulled again at Rufus' sleeve.

"Sir, we need to evacuate!"

A small turn of Rufus' head made Elena freeze with anticipation, but he only glanced down at where her hand grasped his jacket before quickly turning his vision back towards the city outside.

A spark of dread starting to grow in her stomach, Elena stood gawping helplessly up at the President. She waited several moments and was just about to try again when Rufus finally opened his mouth and spoke.

"I didn't bother this time." he muttered the words flippantly and under his breath, eyes still fixed on the scene below. It was as if he was speaking more to himself than Elena.

"Sir?" Elena asked, her unease only growing.

"The 'Loser' button, I never did reinstall it. Hmphh!" A small smirk of irony flitted across his face, "The cycle" he murmured, "it repeats itself so quickly. One can hardly keep up..."

"What sir?" Dropping her grasp of his arm Elena looked at Rufus confused, what was he talking about? What cycle?

"Bring your Jenovas and your Sephiroths..." the corner of the President's mouth twitched upwards, as if recalling something that amused him, "what an arrogant ass I was even then."

The sudden flare of a small explosion illuminated a section of the city below, only a few blocks away from the HQ. Rufus showed little response to the blast however, his frown intensifying perhaps a fraction, appearing more vexed than fearful.

"Sir," Elena pleaded, he was really starting to frighten her now, "sir we need to move, it's not safe here."

Rufus just continued to contemplate the scene in front of him. "I thought I was supposed to rebuild. Rebuild the company, reform Shin-Ra's place in history, make-up for what we did to the planet..." He paused and gave a slight shake of his head, "But now I see... maybe the Lifestream doesn't want that at all, maybe there's another episode I'm meant to repeat instead."

He stopped again and Elena found herself staring up at him with baited-breath, lost as to what was going on but knowing that it was bad, terribly bad.

"You know he never did try to escape his fate," he mused after an agonising pause, "Just like he said he wouldn't. He must have known Sephiroth was coming, some warning must have got through even for the briefest of time, yet he never left his desk. I never thought of it until now... Maybe the old man was more deserving of respect than I gave him credit for."

Comprehension brought with it a fresh wave of fear into Elena's head. He wasn't going to run, he intended to stay here and wait, just as his father had done. Panic rushing through her every nerve Elena reached out and grabbed the President's sleeve once more, pulling on it with renewed vigour.

"_Sir please, we need to go now! Please, sir!"_

Rufus remained stoic despite Elena's persistent tugging on his jacket sleeve. Desperate now she reached up a hand towards his face. Half-clutching at his blonde hair she wrenched his head away from the window, forcing him around to face her. With startled eyes the President looked down at her. She stared back pleadingly.

"_Rufus_" she called out in a choked voice. It was the first time she had ever called him by his first name. "Rufus, please don't do this!"

Rufus stared wide-eyed into Elena's anguished face, looking more stunned than anything else. For an awful moment she thought he was going to turn away from her once again. Then she saw his eyes soften, a light of recognition sparking in them.

"Elena?" he breathed, the light in his eyes growing as he slowly made his way back to the present. Then, with a sudden confused frown he flinched and retreated from her sharply, taking a half-step back. His face was no longer blank but filled with meaning, a mix of bewildered disbelief but also a second emotion, one Elena had never seen in his countenance before- fear. Rufus was afraid.

"You shouldn't be here!" He declared, "Why are you here? It's not safe!"

"Yes, I know sir, that's why we need to leave." She spoke the words with deliberate encouragement, trying to reach him through his obvious bewilderment.

"No!" Rufus half-shouted, despair turning his speech aggressive, as he tried to shake-off her grip on his arm, "you need to leave _now. _Don't you see, they'll be here soon!"

"Not without you sir." Elena answered, shaking her head defiantly. "Please sir!" she tried again, tugging once more at his sleeve.

Rufus' frown intensified as he stared down at her. Behind his eyes Elena could see the deliberation taking place as he weighed up whether it would be better to relent or continue to try and send her away. He was interrupted however by a familiar droning sound from outside. Startled, both turned to look out of the cracked glass just as the intimidating hulk of the Deep Ground helicopter rose into view, harsh beams of light knifing through the Presidential office. Elena flinched as the spotlight fell directly on their faces, instinctively raising an arm to shield her eyes from the painful glare. Rufus winced, but otherwise stayed perfectly still as he faced outwards towards the enemy craft. The helicopter in turn appeared to pause, considering the two figures before starting a new, high pitch whirring sound, one that quickly built up in both frequency and volume.

"Ah!" Rufus said in a calm, accepting voice as if he had been waiting for this eventuality all along.

Panicked, Elena acted without thinking- grabbing hold of Rufus' lapels she yanked him away from the glass while simultaneously kicking his legs out from under him with a sharp side swipe. Falling with him she landed on her back as Rufus fell heavily on his side, his bad leg slamming into the floor with a harsh thud. His howl of pain was drowned out by the sudden onslaught of a hundred bullets being fired from the helicopter's gun canisters. The shrapnel smashed through the glass, speeding across the space that Rufus and Elena had occupied only moments earlier before embedding into the wall and desk in a flurry of smoke and broken wood.

'_There goes the window.' _Elena thought in an oddly detached manner even as she twisted to the side and raised an arm to protect her face from the cascade.

It was several excruciating seconds, which to Elena felt more like hours, before the helicopter finally ceased its tirade against the presidential office. She stayed stock still on the floor as the rain of bullets cut off. The pilot did not linger long to review the damage, and with a sudden swell of engines the craft swooped away once more into the night sky.

At the sound of the fading rotor blades Elena braved lifting her head, eyes immediately searching out the President. Even in the comparative darkness of the wrecked office she could still make out Rufus lying beside her. His eyes, which had been tightly closed during the attack, opened to look straight at her and for a few short breaths Elena found herself gazing directly back at him. A shard of glass had caught him just above the eyebrow and she watched as the small trickle of blood ran down his face, merging with the rivulets of water from the sprinklers above. He did not seem to register the wound however, but was looking back at her with a wide, apprehensive gaze. It took Elena a confused moment to realise that he was waiting for her to make a decision, that in this moment of peril _she _as the Turk and the bodyguard was the one calling the shots. As if to confirm this Rufus seemed to take his cue from her as she pulled herself up, half-rising too. Tearing his gaze away from her face he looked with a somewhat silent astonishment at the devastated remains of his desk. Elena, by contrast, did not pause and was already up on her feet.

"Sir!"

Rufus turned his face upwards to look at her before silently accepting the hand she offered him, pulling himself up into to a standing position with a small grunt of pain.

"Can you walk sir?" Elena asked worriedly. Rufus gave a small nod. "Yes" he answered in a low emotionless voice.

"We need to go sir." She reiterated for what felt like the hundredth time, her words sharper and more decisive than before the helicopter attack. To her utmost relief Rufus did not ignore her this time but gave another small resigned nod.

That was enough for Elena, there was no time to enquire further. Pulling her gun once more out of its holster she turned and started to lead the way out of the office without a backwards glance. She had to believe, had to trust that he was following, that he had now put himself in her hands.

Stepping cautiously through the office door, Elena paused to peer out across the empty darkness of the surrounding corridor. Without a word she moved slowly forward, gun held ready at her side, any noise her footfalls made drowned out by the alarm and the hiss of the sprinkler system. Upon reaching the central atrium she stopped and finally turned to glance back over her shoulder. It was with some relief that she saw Rufus standing a couple of feet behind her, drenched and pale but definitely there, whatever momentary stupor he had been caught up in back in his office mercifully gone.

"Stay here sir" Elena said, though her words were unlikely to have travelled far in the ongoing din. Whether he heard or not Rufus appeared to understand and nodded affirmatively.

Twisting back around Elena covered the few short yards to the edge of the railing, before carefully edging her neck forwards to peer down. What she saw made her gasp and recoil sharply. With wide panicked eyes the Turk crouched low before attempting a second appraisal, heart hammering wildly against her ribs. Down in amongst the deep chasm of the building, where only minutes before there had been stillness, she could now discern movement, multiple light sources, nearly a dozen, flickering and dancing below. There seemed to be two parties; most of the light sources were still clustered in the mid-level floors, making their way up the stairs at a steady pace. A trio of lights however, were already way ahead, ascending at a frightening pace. By Elena's estimation they could only be eight or ten floors below, and closing in rapidly.

"Too late." A monotone voice commented from Elena's side. Snapping her head up she saw the President, who had apparently recovered from his initial shock and was back to ignoring her requests. He gazed down with an expressionless face at the invaders below before turning expectantly towards her.

"What now?"

Elena paused, trying to think. Down was not an option, nor was staying put; by the rapid, determined stride of the scouting party below she could already tell hiding would be futile.

"Up." She said decidedly, stepping away from the banister, "we go up."

"Up?" Rufus answered incredulously, "but there's nothing else up, only the roof!"

"Then that's where we'll go." Elena said.

"But what if that damn helicopter's still hanging around? We'd be sitting ducks!"

"We don't have much of a choice." Elena answered, already turning away.

Rufus hesitated but then followed after his bodyguard.

Though it was only a short distance from the Presidential floor to the roof of the building their progress was slow, painfully slow. The blow to the leg Rufus had received in his office had done much to reawaken his old injury and it became increasingly obvious that he was suffering from it. After limping up to the stairwell he hesitated, considering the flight of steps with a slightly apprehensive frown. Upon seeing him pause Elena stepped up to him and, without comment, took his arm and draped it across her shoulders. She felt his body tense at the sudden contact, but like her he said no word. Together they began a faltering progress up the stairs, Rufus' face set with pain and concentration. For her part Elena could only think of how much faster that first party of Deep Ground soldiers was making its ascent compared to themselves.

Finally reaching the top of the staircase Elena stopped at the doorway that looked out onto the flat expanse of the head quarter's roof. Quickly scanning the area she led Rufus cautiously forwards a few steps, eyes darting in every direction in search of the Deep Ground helicopter that had attacked only minutes earlier. Seeing no sign of the craft in the sky Elena silently broke away from the President and, pulling out her gun, made her way hurriedly to the edge of the building. Peering over the precipice she scanned for danger signs below. Though the weather outside was not nearly as bad as the torrent of the sprinkler system inside, a steady drizzle of rain was nonetheless descending from the thick, heavy clouds up above. Looking over the edge Elena could see the drops of water racing past her to fall several floors before eventually being swallowed up by the darkness below. To her left the smoke from the initial attack was still spiralling up into the air but as far as she could tell there was no sign of the craft responsible.

From behind her Rufus watched on mutely, his breathing low and shallow. Though he could not see the face of his bodyguard he could sense the anxiety emanating from her. He should have acted faster, got her out sooner, got everyone out sooner, the moment he had learnt of the existence of Deep Ground! Now it was too late.

They had moved far sooner than he had anticipated and for that he was almost impressed, their organisation must be admirable. When the attack first began he had watched it from his office window with an almost peaceful detachment. After all, the scene was a familiar one, had he not stood in his past HQ, watching the destruction of his past city at the hands of WEAPON only a few years earlier? The cycle did indeed move quickly. Back then, the first time, he had been prepared to accept his fate, but then at the last moment chosen to fight... no, not fight, to run. And this time he had almost been ready to do the same. But then something had stopped him, the voice of his father perhaps, scolding his five year old son on the cowardliness of flight, "_Let me make this clear, Rufus. I won't choose this option." _Or perhaps it had been the sheer repetitiveness of it all, just as he had stated back in his office; WEAPON, Sephiroth, Kadaj, Sephiroth again. Perhaps if he left his fate down to the planet rather than his own scheming this time the cycle would finally end. Maybe that was what had made him choose to ignore his phone, and opt instead to watch the destruction of his city in peace.

But then Elena had come and he had been forced to act, to follow her however futile he knew it to be. After all, what was one Turk against the entire force of Deep Ground? His own cynical question, the same one he had directed so scornfully at Tseng only the previous day now rung hollow in his memory. Only why did it have to be this particular Turk? The last Turk, the last person on the planet he would have wanted standing between himself and that army. She had done well to get them this far but it had been a lost cause from the beginning. Why had he not acted sooner?

Turning back towards the President, Elena put her gun back in its holster and reached inside her jacket for her phone, flipping it open in readiness to search for Tseng's number. Rufus had straightened up to his full height; despite his exhausted, drenched state he still held onto what fragments of proud dignity were left to him. Yet as Elena came closer she could make out something else, something sad and reluctant in his expression as he watched her that made her slow her pace despite the urgency of the situation. He returned her questioning look in silence for a moment before speaking.

"I would have saved you from this." He murmured, his voice soft and tinted with regret. Eyes widening, Elena opened her mouth to form a question but was interrupted by a vicious scraping, scrabbling sound rising up fast from the stairwell in front of them. Twisting sharply around Elena dropped the phone, the device tumbling to the ground, and reached instinctively for her gun.

A dog like creature, though one that looked to be made more out of metal than flesh came bounding out of the stairwell and burst onto the roof. A flash of cold familiarity struck Elena as she recognised the apparition as the same as those creatures that had lain heaped in morbid piles in the market square at Kalm. She barely had time to register this fact however; the Deep Ground hound hardly slowed its charge as it came face to face with the two figures, instead it took in everything it needed to know with a quick horizontal swipe of its inbuilt scanner- two humans, one clean, one displaying remnants of the stigma. Its pre-programmed mission made its next actions clear; subdue the first and dispose of the contamination.

Adjusting its course the animal veered towards Rufus, opening its jaws to reveal double rows of wicked blade-like teeth. It only made it a matter of steps however when a shattering *BANG* exploded around it and the creature's head snapped back with a sharp yelp, dragging the rest of its body with it.

Elena half-lowered the gun. It had been an easy shot; the target had been at near point blank range, and the bullet had landed squarely in the animal's head. Stepping forward between Rufus and the doorway her eyes left the beast and travelled towards the stairwell in search of its two companions who could surely not be far behind. Movement caught the corner of her eye however and she looked back in time to see the fallen hound twitch before twisting its limbs to the side into a half-sitting position. Elena took a sharp intake of breath; a direct hit like that should surely have killed it in an instant! Lifting itself onto its two front paws the beast shook its head groggily before looking up towards its attacker. For a moment all became clear; a large crack had formed up from where the bullet had embedded itself in the hard steel casing of the dog's helmet, partly shattering the armour and leaving the animal stunned but relatively unscathed. From where she was standing Elena could see that part of the outer casing of the headgear had fallen away altogether, revealing the furious, blood-streaked stare of the hound underneath.

Raising her arms Elena levelled her weapon once again at the animal. Not willing to waste another chance she squinted carefully, focusing on the half-exposed face of the creature.

Then she stopped cold. The gun, suddenly numb in her hand, refused to fire, her fingers frozen around it as if clamped to a block of ice.

Even through the mess of blood and metal she could see it, the dull green-glow of mako-infused eyes, glaring madly up at her through the shattered remains of the animal's visor. Every muscle in her body seized up as black pupils bored into her amidst glowing irises, slitted like a snake's- threatening her, mocking her, repeating the same demand over and over again, _'Mother!, Mother! Where is mother?'_

Struggling to its feet the hound emitted a low growl, bracing its limbs in preparation for a lunge. At that same moment its two companions came bounding through the stairwell entrance, racing up to join its ranks.

"_Elena!" _Her name sounded out from behind her, sharp and piercing.

Snapping out of her revelry Elena blinked in time to see the first hound launch itself off the ground, its bloody maw and forelimbs stretching out towards her. With no time to re-aim the Turk acted on instinct. Stepping back she readjusted her footing, _"__so your weight's settled a bit more on the left"_ a voice in her mind echoed.Then, quick as a flash, her right leg twisted into a roundhouse kick, her foot making contact with the hound's torso, sending it once more flying backwards through the air. Senses screaming, she trained her gun and fired two shots at the animal's head, the dog's body shook with the impact and then fell still, never to move again. Without pausing Elena twisted around to face the remaining two Deep Ground hounds. The first managed to dodge her bullet, veering its body sharply to the side, it was unable to avoid her second attempt however and the bullet struck it in the chest, toppling it to the ground. The third beast, its path partly hindered by the bodies of the other two, did not make it much further. Not even twisting to avoid the trained line of Elena's gun it met the bullet square on and fell like a sack of rocks.

Seconds passed with no other sound than the light pattering of the rain.

Still in a state of shock Elena looked wide-eyed with horror at the bloody scene before her- a scene caused by her own panicked reactions. Gun arm still outstretched, pointed at the fallen Deep Ground hounds she watched as one flailed convulsively, its limbs kicking up a froth of blood and rain water as it fought to hold onto life for a few seconds more. Still not dead, she could picture its mako eyes rolling madly in their sockets, vicious and relentless; though in truth the animals face was still hidden underneath its helmet. Transfixed Elena swayed on the edge of passing-out. Desperate for it to end she found herself squeezing on the trigger once more, only to be met with a dull hollow _'click'. _Blinking at the unexpected noise Elena tried again, her brain racing to catch-up with the significance of the sound- _'click', 'click'. _

Bullets, no more bullets.

Frowning, she reached down to her hip only to be met with empty space. Eyes widening in confusion Elena glanced down at her belt before snapping her head back up to stare helplessly down towards the dark stairwell in front of her... The spare clip. She'd left it in the desk draw while retrieving her gun. There were no more bullets.

The realisation hit her in a sickening wave. Face blanching she took a step back as if recoiling from a blow. _'No more bullets'_ the thought circled over and over in her head as she stood staring blindly at the entrance way of the stairwell. They were defenceless, and with the second party of Deep Ground soldiers racing towards them. She had failed.

Elena had no concept of how much time passed as she stood there, statue-like save for a slight trembling- a mix of cold and passing adrenaline, her gun still in a half-raised, the arm holding it frozen in place. The silence at that moment was almost unbearable; she wanted to scream out her despair but was too ashamed to do so. How could she have forgotten it? Even in the imposing threat of the helicopter she should have remembered! Of course she was always forgetting it, such a rookie thing to do, but now when it mattered her rookiness was no longer cute, it was disastrous.

Yet acknowledging her failure was not the most painful thing for Elena at that moment. No, what struck her most was the fact that the silence that now filled the air did not come just from her, it was behind her too; he had not said a word since that last damning 'click' of the empty cartridge. This was no place for a President to die. Perhaps there was still a chance, if she went now, perhaps she could make it back to her office in time, retrieve the missing clip! But in her heart of hearts she knew it was a lost cause, even if there was time she didn't think she would have the energy to make it, she was defeated, spent.

For the longest time there was nothing around her but the night sky and nothing to be heard except the soft patter of the rain. When a footstep finally sounded from behind Elena lowered her head a fraction but did not turn. A few seconds later and she was dimly aware of white entering the left side of her vision. It seemed to hover besides her for a moment before, without a word, she felt a gentle but firm pressure come down on her outstretched gun-arm, forcing it down to her side. With a small sob of anguish Elena watched as her view of the carnage was blocked by a body stepping in front of her. Despite the proximity she couldn't, wouldn't look up to face him, even with his hand still locked around her wrist; her shock and grief were simply too much. Instead she kept her eyes fixed in the same position as they had been before, as if she could see through his chest to the bloody scene a few yards away.

She could feel Rufus' gaze on her, could sense him willing her to look up to meet him. He knew of course, he had to comprehend their helpless predicament. His silence alone was testament enough to that fact. Still, why then did he not speak, not shout or curse? He had followed her willingly enough on her fool's mission to rescue them both, had entrusted his safely to her hands. And now, met with her absolute failure he seemed to accept it without a word.

Then, just as she was fighting up her last ounce of courage to look at him, he moved, closing the space between them. Half-expecting him to pull her chin up, forcing her to finally face him, Elena was instead shocked to feel his grip on her wrist travel downwards, strong fingers working at her hand, prising the gun from her grasp until, with a dull clatter, the useless weapon dropped to the ground. The same fingers curled and interlocked with her own while Elena felt his other hand move up her back and into her short crop of hair, pulling her into a silent embrace.

The sudden proximity was both comforting and horrifying to Elena. Every muscle in her being froze up at the embrace so that she couldn't escape from it even if she wanted to. He was the president, he did not hug! This was wrong, and yet she had no urge to pull away. Statue-like she stared rather unfocusedly at the necktie in front of her. If she ignored the cold and the wet it was almost as if they were back at Forbes' party and that her only fault was having upset a glass of wine over him, that any second now he would step back and give her a withering look. In a strange way it was almost reassuring.

Was that why he was he doing this? To comfort her? To tell her that despite everything he forgave her? Or was it to comfort himself? That perhaps, when it finally came down to it, the President was just as vulnerable as everyone else, and just as in need of human contact when preparing for the end... But no, that wasn't it, at least not all of it. They were standing there for both those reasons and neither all at the same time. If that made sense... It didn't make sense though. Oh it was all so confusing and she was so very tired. There was more to it and Elena had the impression that if she would only look up and face him she would see all the answers. That he was waiting for her to do so. She didn't though. Instead she closed her eyes, and leant into him, feeling his breath light and warm against her hair. Instead she just continued to let him hold her. It was easier that way, just comforting each other in their last few minutes as they waited to die.

The sound of the approach was soft at first. When it first came it was so quiet that they could pretend it wasn't real, wasn't happening. Yet as it drew nearer neither of them could ignore it, a low ominous swell coming up behind them, beginning as a moan but soon rising to a roar. Beneath him Rufus felt Elena shift, as if she meant to react. Tightening his grip around her he took a sharp step to the side, manoeuvring his body so that it was positioned between herself and the approaching enemy. It would only be a few seconds, quite possibly seconds she would not wish to experience nor thank him for, but it was all he could offer nonetheless.

Stilling himself Rufus listened to the sound as it filtered through the rain, growing louder and louder, until suddenly... it was too loud! Snapping his eyes open Rufus looked up in time to see the silhouette of a helicopter soaring low above their heads, the roar of its engines so intense it was almost deafening, the wind from the rotor blades whipping their hair and clothes in all directions. Besides him Elena gasped, twisting in his arms to look at the helicopter even as the craft itself spun around to face them, pinning them with its searchlights. So this was how it was to end, not by foot soldiers but by Deep Ground helicopter. Yet rather than opening fire the helicopter straightened out, hovering above them as if in expectation of something. Staring up at the underside of helicopter Rufus could only watch in dumb confusion, wondering why it hesitated. Then, from the crackle of the craft's tannoy a familiar voice sounded out.

"_Er,... do you guys wanna move?"_

Blinking in surprise Rufus stared a moment at the belly of the craft before, coming to his senses, he seized hold of Elena's arm and dragged the both of them out towards the edge of the roof. With the landing pad free, the helicopter quickly touched down. From the front Rufus could see it was clearly not the same machine as the one that had been laying siege to the HQ, the red rhombus of the Shin-Ra logo was wonderfully familiar, as was the grinning pilot sat in the cockpit.

"_Alright boss?" _he yelled over the din of the helicopter blades,_ "Tseng said you might need a lift. What you standing out in the rain for?"_

Ignoring the Turk's blasé air and infuriating grin Rufus hurried forward as quickly as his injured leg would allow, pulling a still somewhat shell-shocked Elenabehind him.

"_Reno, you're timing is impeccable!" _he shouted, pulling the door of the helicopter open before half-shoving Elena through it then clambering in himself.

Despite his relaxed appearance Reno wasted no time in lifting the helicopter and its occupants high up into the air. Falling back into his seat Rufus allowed himself to revel in an uncharacteristic moment of relief; dropping his head back against the chair rest as he closed his eyes and sighed loudly. How close had they come? He didn't want to think about it. Beside him Elena sat tense and upright, showing no sign of sharing in his elation at their escape. Instead she twisted her neck to peer out of the rain-streaked glass of the window next to her. The HQ was rapidly retreating from view as the helicopter climbed, yet for the briefest of moments, through the swirling rain and darkness, she thought she could see lights moving on the roof.


	24. Chapter 24

_AU note: Gyah, what the hell? Something weird's going on with the upload of this document. FF.n keeps getting rid of the linebreaks and the odd-piece of text. Has this been a regular occurrence dear readers? If so I do apologise. I've added linebreaks directly to the uploaded document in this chapter and will go back over the previous chapters to try to fix any similar issues. _

_I should acknowledge the wonderful work of the owner of the 'Gunshot Romance' website for providing the 'Before Crisis' dialogue that I've used in Elena's memories in this chapter. As I think I've mentioned before, in this fanfic Rosalind, Elena's sister, is dead along with most of the other early members of the Turks. I always thought it was a bit of a cop out by the writers to have them all just walk away from being Turks in a mass desertion._

_Thanks also to fans, both old and new, for all your brilliant reviews and comments, I hope to answer them all when I have the time. Please don't stop sending them as they're what makes all the writing effort worthwhile!_

* * *

All was still and dark when Elena awoke. For the fleetest of moments she stayed in blissful unawareness as her senses worked to adjust to her surroundings. Then full consciousness returned, bringing with it cold sickening recollections of the night before. The cold and the dark, the ferocious roar of the helicopter and the harrowing silence of the roof, gunshots and blood, the awful damning sense of helplessness. Stumbling to her feet she gazed down at the crumpled shirt bunched around her figure, had she not even bothered to get undressed properly? The rest of her uniform lay where she had dropped it, forming a trail towards the thin single mattress on which she had eventually collapsed.

Feeling suddenly panicked and oppressed in the small sparse room she hurried over to the window where faint sombre-looking light was making a half-hearted attempt to pierce the heavy metal shutters of a blind. After a moment's scrabbling and searching she located a button to the edge of the window; pressing it caused the blind to slowly wind open, powered away by its own little motor. The scene that met her eyes was depressing in its familiarity, She was several flights up in a concrete barracks, below her dull grey tarmac spread out before dropping off to give way to an equally dull grey sea below, the waters stretching far off into the horizon.

Junon. She was back in miserable, soul-sucking Junon.

In the chaos of the attack on Edge the previous night, and with no word from Rufus, the Shinra base at Edge had been in danger of falling apart at the seams, very much like it had during the last days of the Meteor Crisis. With no obvious Vice-President to take charge it had fallen to the Turks, as the 'enforcers' of the company, to try to maintain some kind of organisation. There had of course been the odd objection voiced by other 'suits' within the company, but as none of those suits came with magrods or knuckle-dusters their complaints were for the most part ignored.

With Edge turned into a warzone overnight, a new temporary base for the company had to be chosen. Tseng had quickly ruled out the original destination of Costa del Sol as being too far by mere helicopter alone. The Healin Lodge had acted as the company base for the months following from the meteor crisis but it was isolated and still within striking distance of Midgar. Junon was finally chosen for its harbour defences, the city had originally been built as a fort for the Eastern continent and even with the loss of the Sister Ray it still had the strategic capabilities for withstanding an attack.

Not that Elena was concerned with much of any of this. Her sleep had done little to refresh her and the chill she had felt while being soaked by sprinklers and rain alike the previous night had not yet left her tired bones.

For a long time she stared mournfully out of the window at the monotone scenery in front of her. The slightly brighter patch within a uniform blanket of clouds told her that the Sun was already high up in the sky. How long had she been sleeping? A large part of her wanted to remain hiding within the small confines of the room, avoiding all the questions and accusations that were surely awaiting her on the other side of the door. But hiding from her blame was not an option, not for a Turk.

It was with a reluctant grimace that Elena eventually turned away from the window and shrugged on her damp uniform, having no other clothes to hand. Avoiding the pale haggard reflection in the small wall-mounted mirror she slipped out of the room and made her way through the network of narrow corridors that connected the airbase barracks. Relying on her less than perfect memory she gradually made her way down to the mess. At the sound of voices murmuring from inside the room she hesitated, biting her bottom lip indecisively. Opening the door as carefully as she could Elena edged inside, hoping she could slip in unnoticed.

"Wooh, there she is!"

No such luck.

Elena flinched at the sudden exclamation and half-started to back away from the door. Reno was having none of it though. Jumping up from his seat at one of the long tables that stretched along the length of the room he bounded across the floor, making a beeline straight for her while the rest of the small gathering of Turks and other Junon personnel watched on with wide grins. The piles of plates and half-eaten food told Elena that lunch was already in full swing. At the moment she couldn't care less, despite not having eaten since the previous evening the sight of those grins twisted her insides into panicked knots, what had Reno been telling them of the events of last night?

"Our own little rooky hero!" the redhead declared, darting behind Elena and proceeding to push her into the centre of the room. "To think I trained her up personally, taught her everything she knows! Well don't just sit there gawping, show some appreciation!"

Emphatic applause broke out among the assembled trainees falling on Elena's stunned ears, even a small "woop-woop!" sounded from the back of the room.

"Reno, what are you doing?" Elena hissed, trying to shrug off his grip from her shoulders.

"Just showing our appreciation El', like I said. Today's a day for celebratin'!"

"What in Gaia is there to celebrate!" Elena protested, finally managing to shake him away with a sharp twist of the shoulders. Turning to face him she glared at her colleague with wary eyes, unable to fathom anything positive from the previous twenty-four hours.

"Now don't be modest Elena." Reno said grinning, "Why, we'd all be out of a job this morning weren't for you!"

"What?"

"Shinra wouldn't be much without the Shinra!" Reno explained in a patient drawl, "The boss isn't just the boss, he's a, whachamacallit?" he waved a skinny hand in the air trying to think of the word, "Brand name!" he declared, snapping his fingers.

"Brand name?" Elena frowned in confusion.

"Yep, brand name. And if said brand name happened to have been torn to shreds on the HQ roof last night well, what then for the poor ol' Department of General Affairs? Ain't that right partner?"

Rude nodded solemnly from his seat.

"But I-"

"Course I could always join the WRO push came to shove." Reno mused, "Sure they're crying out for men of my calibre... Though I would miss the uniform." He looked down fondly at his crumpled jacket, one sleeve cuff already sporting a large coffee stain, "I do take such pride in it!"

Elena stared at him, goggle-eyed with disbelief.

"Last night was a disaster." She hissed, "We barely got out with our lives!"

"But ya did get out, that's the important part! That's what ya gotta be proud of!"

"I'm not proud of anything that happened up there!" Elena's voice swelled in volume till it was almost a shout.

Reno half-recoiled in surprise, as did many of the other seated Turks. Wordlessly his eyes narrowed and fixed Elena with a confused, searching gaze. Elena stared back at him, shocked by the vehemence of her own reactions. The rest of the mess room had fallen silent at the sudden outburst and were staring at their fellow Turk with baffled expressions. Ducking her head Elena turned and all but ran out of the room.

* * *

"-so pleased of course to find you safe Mr. President."

Silence.

"We have a resident medic stationed at the airbase, very competent I can assure you. If you would care to have someone examine your leg I'm sure..."

Silence.

Gibbs faltered, clearly at a loss as to what to say next. Desperately the Shinra manager turned his face towards the dark suited figure standing to one side of the room, looking at him with baffled almost pleading eyes.

Tseng spared a quick glance at the mute seated President, but Rufus showed no sign of responding. Instead he just sat, one leg propped up on a footstool, looking moodily out of the vast windows of the Junon office to the sea below.

"Thank you Mr. Gibbs," Tseng said, clasping his hands behind his back and stepping forward, "If there is anything we need we will be sure to ask."

"Oh, right...right." Gibbs wrung his hands together nervously, his eyes flicking between the Turk and the non-responsive President.

"Good day Mr. Gibbs" Tseng pressed, taking another step forward.

"Yes, thank you, of course... I shall be...of course." Stumbling over his words Gibbs hesitated before, with a quick nod to Tseng, turned and hurried out of the room.

Tseng exhaled softly as the door closed behind Gibbs with a soft *click*. Turning his head he looked back to contemplate the still form of his employer.

"You know it might be an idea to get that leg seen to sir." The head Turk commented dryly to the back of the President's head.

"That leg is perfectly fine thank you." Rufus answered peevishly, not raising his eyes from the window.

"You are of course the best judge of that sir." Tseng said. He stopped and waited, when no further response came he decided to press further, "Would you mind telling me how it happened?"

Even in his position as head of the Turks Tseng had yet to fully decipher what had taken place in the HQ. The chaos of the previous night had left little time to stop and ask for details; just learning from Reno's radio communication that the President was safe was, at the time, information enough. Truth be told, when Reno had finally touched down the helicopter in Junon in the early hours of the morning Tseng's initial concern had been more for Elena than the President, despite the heavy limp of the latter. She had stepped out of the helicopter with a pale hollow eyed expression that he had not seen since that dark episode in the Northern Crater. Both Turk and President had retired soon after arriving, Rufus grouchily waving off any suggestion of medical aid. Reno had been uncharacteristically cagey on the subject when Tseng had finally found time to question the redhead just before dawn. "Picked 'em up jus' like you told me to yo" he had answered with a shrug so theatrical that he managed to upset the coffee cup in his hand all over his jacket sleeve.

Now it was the next day and the commander of the Turks found his boss to be equally stoic, preferring to keep to his own thoughts rather than engage in any kind of conversation. Tseng had hoped that the removal of the somewhat irritating Shinra manager might have gone some way to encourage a better frame of mind in the President, but Rufus' countenance was hardly changing.

Persisting Tseng continued to watch the President. Though he was not looking at the Turk Rufus could feel the piercing gaze emanating from him. With a heavy sigh he eventually opened his mouth to form a two-syllable reply.

"I fell."

Tseng frowned. "You fell, sir?"

"Yes."

"How sir?"

"The same way most people fall, do you really need a lesson in elementary physics?" Rufus snapped, suddenly irritable.

Tseng tilted his head a fraction but said nothing more.

There was a pause before Rufus spoke up again, "What news from Edge?" he enquired in a lighter voice, turning his head fractionally towards the Turk in a small Rufus-esque gesture of contrition.

"The city has been secured, Deep Ground has retreated for now."

"For now?" echoed Rufus dubiously.

"I doubt such an army would consider the events of last night an all out defeat." Tseng said levelly.

"Any word on what they were after?"

"None, they took more hostages, many more. But that was the only thing they seemed to do. Slash, slaughter and destroy does indeed appear to be their main agenda."

There was a pause in the conversation while Rufus seemed to reflect.

"Is Reeve in the city?"

"I believe so, yes."

"_He_ did not run away." Rufus muttered, almost sulkily.

"He was not subject to a direct attack." Tseng countered.

Rufus nodded in ponderous agreement.

"They did seem to hold something of a grudge after all, don't you think?"

"Hard to say sir." Tseng sniffed.

"My office is a mess!"

"Yes sir."

"The desk alone cost me a small fortune, solid Mideelian wood. Blown to bits by that damn helicopter."

"Yes sir."

Rufus stopped again, a slightly pained frown on his features as he recollected the scene.

"Has someone cleared it up yet?" He enquired hopefully.

"Hard to say sir, I'll have them look into it."

"At least have the bullet holes removed from the walls before I get back."

The conversation trickled away once again leaving a tense silence in its wake. Tseng stood quietly, slowly digesting the information. To discover now that there were bullet holes lining the walls of Rufus' office shocked the head Turk and he found himself inwardly wondering how close both his superior and Elena had come to meeting their end.

"You were quite right of course."

Tseng looked up, frowning in confusion at this sudden offering from the President.

"Sir?"

"I should have taken the Deep Ground threat more seriously from the start, acted sooner." The words came in a low soft murmur.

Tseng was quiet for a moment, considering this rare admittance of fault from the President. He shook his head, "No sir, no one could have predicted the speed of their attack, especially so soon after Kalm. It was only by the luck of the gods that Elena was still in the HQ when they struck."

Rufus stilled at the mention of the name, eyes steadily fixed at the window and not at the Turk. He looked as if he was about to speak, opening his mouth to form words, but then hesitated and seemed to think better of it. Closing his lips he paused before attempting again.

"Elena, yes..." He spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully, "I would wish to commend her on her conduct last night... I do not believe I would be sitting here now if not for her actions."

Tseng nodded solemnly, "Of course sir."

Another pause filled the air between the two men.

"Is she alright?"

Tseng glanced at Rufus, but the President remained staring placidly out, not making eye contact.

"...I have not had a chance to speak with Elena since last night." Tseng answered. It was true, he had yet to see Elena that morning, choosing to let her rest for the time being. Still, he hoped to have her report on the events of the previous night soon, if nothing more than to provide clarity as to what had taken place. "I will be sure to let her know you were asking after her."

"Whatever." Rufus muttered turning his head even further from the Turk, suddenly appearing disinterested. "Now if you do not mind I think I would like to rest a little."

"As you wish sir."

Upon Tseng's exit Rufus remained seated in his chair, perfectly still as he continued to stare out towards the far horizon of the Junon sea. Then, in a sudden resolute act he placed both hands on the arms of his chair and lifted himself abruptly to his feet. Keeping with the momentum of the action he made to stride towards the large windows of the office. As strides go it was a perfectly fine for the first forward motion of the leading leg, the second limb however let the entire show down and buckled sharply. With a hiss and a curse Rufus half-hopped, half-dragged himself the remaining distance to the glass, pausing to steady himself before passing an agitated hand across his features.

What had he done that night? How foolish had he been? To allow emotions to show through like that, even for the briefest of times. The very thought made him wince with discomfort.

In theory of course he could act as if it had never taken place, he knew without having to consider that Elena would follow his lead and never mention it if that was the path he chose to take. But yet he already knew that there would be no turning back. Part of him did not want to ignore what had happened. Part of him _could not_ ignore it. In amongst the anguish a small element of hope remained, delicate and flickering. She had leaned into him. She had not only tolerated his embrace when it had been so pathetically offered, she had leant into it. Even now, if he closed his eyes, he could feel the weight of her head pressing up against his chest, smell the soft clean scent of her hair.

She had leant into him. The thought both thrilled him and left him with a dread queasy feeling as to what had to happen now.

He would have to speak to her of course, find her and tell her. Admit what, up until very recently, he had been denying even to himself. There was no further choice. To act in any other way would be cowardly. And if there was one thing President Rufus did not consider himself to be it was a coward.

* * *

'_Coward!'_

Elena leant across the railings that partitioned the edge of the airbase, staring mournfully down at the stony waters several feet below. The wind whipped across the exposed face of the airstrip, coming and going in angry swells which roared and snapped in her ears. She stayed like that for several minutes, shoulders hunched against the wind, inwardly berating herself until, from in between the gusts, she heard the sound of a pair of feet making their casual way towards her.

"Have you come out here for a smoke Reno?" She asked, not turning to look. On cue the redhead appeared at her shoulder. Twisting around so that his back was to the sea, he leant against the metal railings a lazy smile on his face.

"Me, smoke? Course not, filthy habit!"

"So you're here to check-up on me then."

"Pretty much yeah," the redhead admitted without so much as the blink of an eye, "One of us had to and muggings here picked the short straw."

Elena dropped her head but said nothing. There was a long silence between them, the only sound the slow rasp of the waves against the harbour walls below.

"Y'alright rookie?" Reno asked eventually, his voice soft but nonchalant, masking his concern for his colleague with a relaxed laid-back air.

Elena allowed herself a bitter smile.

"I've been a Turk for three years now Reno, when are you gonna stop calling me that?"

Reno hummed in a show of consideration, "Hmm, probably never."

Elena bowed her head a fraction more.

"Am I still that much of a screw-up?"

"Hah, like I'm gonna respond to such a leading question!"

Silence.

Reno gave a relenting sigh.

"C'mon yer hardly a screw-up. Way you acted back in the Northern Crater, getting that lump of Jenova head to me 'gainst all the odds, why that was-" the pained wince across Elena's features stopped him short. Sniffing he attempted again, "And then like I said before, saving the Pres' against a whole legion of Deep Ground beasties-"

"Save him?" Elena interrupted sharply turning to face Reno with wide incredulous eyes, "Why is everyone acting like I'm some kind of hero? We were stranded up there! If you hadn't arrived I don't..." words choked up in her throat, stopping her from saying anymore. Instead she turned dejectedly back to face the harbour.

Reno shifted his weight to one foot and stuffed his hands in his pockets, adopting a classic slouch pose. "Hell there's always a little element of luck in any operation." He scoffed, ignoring Elena's tense shoulders, "Whatever Tseng, or come to think of it Rude will keep trying to tell ya over and over when yer with 'em about to bust into some backstreet mako den, all this 'planning ahead' business is over-rated. You make a call and you go with it, and if it just so happens to work out for _whatever_ reason, well then you sit back and soak in the credit! Besides which, narrow escapes always make for better anecdotes than well executed operations."

There was another silence in which Reno fidgeted awkwardly, inwardly wondering what had happened to get his colleague into such a funk and what could be done to make her snap out of it.

"Do you remember my sister?"

Reno looked up in surprise at this unexpected query, "..Yeah, ol' Rosalind, course I do."

"I'm about as old as she was now."

Reno scuffed his foot on the cement awkwardly, he'd made the same comment to Rude on a previous occasion and the recollection added to his discomfort. "Yep," he acknowledged, "guess you about are."

"... Was she good? As a Turk I mean."

Reno tightened his lips, guessing where this line of questioning was heading and not liking it one bit.

"Yeah, yeah she was one of the best."

Elena nodded slowly, "Do I remind you of her?"

Reno shrugged, keeping his hands firmly in his pockets, "Guess so yeah, yer eyes are different but you both got that lesbian haircut thing going on."

"No not that way," Elena said with a small huff, "I mean am I like her professionally?"

Reno rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically, "C'mon Elena, stop beating yerself up yo! Ain't gonna do anyone any favours."

When she said nothing in response he huffed again, pushing himself off the railing so he was now standing upright.

"Nah you ain't yer sister," he said in a brusquer voice, "and Rude ain't me neither- but he's still a good Turk dammit, wouldn't hear anyone say otherwise! There isn't a one-size fits all in this line of work."

"... I forgot the clip."

"What?" Reno blinked, confused.

"The spare clip, I left it in my desk. And then on the roof... I just froze up."

'_You've forgotten something, again? Honestly Elena, sometimes I don't know where your mind goes.'_ The memory sounded in her head clear as day. The recollection of her sister's voice hardly surprised her and this time it wasn't anger that filled her up but despair.

Elena hiccupped and Reno was alarmed to see a film of tears across her eyes. This was definitely _way_ out of his comfort zone!

"If he hadn't shouted to me, I don't-" Elena stopped, too caught up in the memories of last night to continue.

"He?" Reno echoed. Elena ducked her head guiltily.

For a short while there was nothing but the crashing of the waves below.

"Y'know," the redhead began cautiously, looking down so that he appeared to be consulting his shoes, "when I saw you on the roof, the two of you seemed kinda... cosy."

"_What!_" Elena twisted around sharply to face him while taking a step back, her distress clearly written on her face. Reno simply cocked his head expectantly.

"We-, we thought we were gonna die Reno!" She wailed, fists clenching so tightly the skin of her knuckles was stretched white.

"'Kay, okay," Reno said raising his arms in a gesture of supplication, "fair enough, if you say so yo."

Elena stared at him despairingly before turning on her heels and half-running back towards the airbase. She wasn't up to this, not now. Barely had she made it through the doors however before she nearly ran into the imposing figure of Tseng coming from the opposite direction.

"Ah Elena," Tseng frowned as he took in her pallid complexion, "everything alright?"

"Yes sir." Elena gasped, straightening up and attempting to slow her rapid breaths.

Tseng considered her for a moment, Elena flickered her eyes longingly towards the corridor behind him, feeling like a trapped animal.

"I would like to have your report on the incidents of last night by this evening if I may." Tseng said eventually.

"Yes sir." Elena nodded sharply.

"Only if you feel up to writing it of course." He added, a slight edge of concern in his voice.

"Yes sir, of course sir."

"Very good. I understand that your actions were to be considered praiseworthy."

Elena said nothing, behind her she could hear the soft sweep of the doors opening and knew that Reno had re-entered the building.

"President Rufus has asked after your wellbeing."

A swirl of black and red along the edge of her vision told Elena that Reno was stepping past them at that moment. Sure enough the Turk's back appeared behind Tseng a second later, walking casually down the corridor.

"Thank you sir." She managed in a near whisper.

Tseng nodded before stepping aside and moving into one of the adjoining offices.

For what felt like several minutes Elena remained rooted to the spot, the sounds of the two other Turks fading into nothing. When all was quiet she roused what little energy she had left and began a faltering progress back to her room, inwardly praying that she would meet no one else on the way.

Upon reaching her small temporary dorm room she sealed the door and half-sat, half-crouched on the edge of the mattress staring mournfully down at her hands spread open on her lap. The lacerations to her palms she had received the previous night were already scabbing over, in a few days they would be gone.

She wanted... she didn't know what she wanted. Everything was all such a mess. Without intending to her thoughts turned to him and her heart gave a painful wrench. What must he think of her? She knew that his comment to Tseng about her conduct had to be a lie. Rufus was one of the most perceptible people she knew, not that that mattered of course. No one with eyes to see could have failed to spot her freezing spell when faced with that Deep Ground hound, nor her despair when faced with the sheer helplessness of their situation.

Elena gave an involuntary shudder and pulled her hands up, wrapping her arms tightly around her shoulders. He had held her that way, and though she could never admit it to him she would be forever grateful for that.

Funny, since when had she started to think of the President as 'he'?

Blinking back the tears that were once again threatening to form Elena tried to refocus. She was supposed to be doing something. Tseng had told her. What was it?

Oh yes, the report, she was supposed to be writing her report.

Slowly rising from her half-crouched position on the bed Elena walked stiffly towards the small desk upon which a standard ShinRa issue computer sat. Pressing the ON button she settled herself down and waited patiently for the system to warm up.

She would have to own up to her error of course, there was no avoiding it. Just another in a long list of screw-ups and failed missions: Giving away information on her first mission at the Mythril Mines, leaving her colleague alone in the Temple of Ancients, failing to apprehend Avalance at the Icicle Inn, the Northern Crater...

'_Oh Elena, why do you have to be such a klutz?' _

She scowled, not sure if it was her own internal monologue speaking or the chastising memory of Rosalind.

"You'll see," she muttered under her breath, though perhaps with not quite the same conviction as when she had first spoke the words as a petulant headstrong teenager, "I'll become a Turk one day. I'll surpass you."

'_I didn't see though.' _the voice she imposed on the memory of her sister sounded both mocking and regretful.

'_No,'_ thought Elena sadly, _'you didn't...'_

Blinking she realised she had been staring at the computer monitor for several minutes. The screen was blank, waiting patiently for her input, its light illuminating her face in the dark room, bleaching her skin of any colour.

For a long while she wavered, fingers hovering over the keyboard uncertainly. How to even begin? Then, without prompting her hands settled on the keys and began to move, fingertips typing out sentences in an almost automated fashion while the rest of her watched on from some abstract, disconnected perspective.

'_Too bad. Dad will be disappointed.'_

Elena inhaled slowly but continued to type.

* * *

It was late by the time she finished. How late she couldn't quite say. Her task complete she clasped the paper copy in her hand and moved through the deserted hallways of the Junon base. Perhaps it was too late? Would Tseng even be in his temporary office? The thought made her pull-up sharp, her body wavering uncertainly in the middle of the empty hallway. A ripple of anxiety travelled down her spine. Yet the more she considered it the more certain she was of its truth. Hurrying on at a more urgent pace Elena climbed a staircase and turned the corner that led to the head Turk's office. The room was dark and the door locked, confirming her suspicions.

Helplessly she wondered what to do. She looked down at the print out in her hands. She had to hand it in tonight, in that she was resolute. She couldn't face yet another failure, not now.

'_That's right, we do whatever it takes to succeed. That's what the Turks do.'_ Elena bit her lip. Like a persistent ghost in some old-fashioned tragedy, her sister's memory seemed to be following her even now. Maybe she really was losing it.

Slipping the pages under the door wasn't an option. Perhaps she could find Tseng in his room, he was most likely in one of the old army dorms just like all the other Turks, but which one?

Even as Elena was considering this another germ of an idea was starting to form in her head. She stilled as the notion took full root in her mind. She couldn't be so brazen could she? But the thought stuck fast and in an instant Elena realised that not only was it the only option, it was the right option.

Without further encouragement Elena's legs began to carry her forward, taking her through the narrow empty hallways of the barrack offices, towards the heart of the Junon base. Pushing her way through an official looking door at the end of one of the corridors she stepped out into the wide expanse of the central lobby. The coarse office carpeting that had previously muffled her footsteps gave way to marble flooring, the rhythmic sound of her own heels clicking against the polished surface bounced off the walls and filled Elena's ears. Now it was only a matter of ascending the broad, ostentatious looking staircase to the upper level, she did not have to think hard, it was a route she had taken many times during her previous time in Junon.

Then, before she knew it she was there, standing in front of a closed door. A soft band of light edging out from under the heavy doorframe told her that he was still awake. Of course he would be. Still, rather than knock directly Elena found herself staring fixedly at the dark grain of the door's polished wood, trying to muster her courage. She waited for any internal words of encouragement but none came. Either Rosalind's ghost had deserted her or what sparse memories she had of her sister had run dry. Either way she was on her own. With a steadying breath Elena rolled back her shoulders and with one clenched fist knocked sharply on the door. There was a pause before a muffled voice sounded from the other side.

"Yes?"

Closing her eyes Elena grasped the handle in front of her and pushed the door open.

* * *

_AU note: You know, if I squint hard I think I can see something coming up on the horizon... It looks like an ending. _


	25. Chapter 25

_AU note: Sorry folks, this latest chapter has been sitting in my hard-drive for the past 3 weeks. I kept digging it up, looking it over, rearranging a sentence or two, then stuffing it back and scurrying off again. In the end I realised I couldn't keep it buried over the entire winter so I went ahead and published it._

_This chapter has a letter in it. Some of you lovely people have described this story as 'Austen-esque' (a wonderful compliment if ever there was one!). All good Austen books have a letter in the plot-line, 'Persuasion' had one, 'Pride & Prejudice', 'Sense & Sensibility'. I felt it only fitting that I include one in my story..._

He was reclining in a chair when she entered, the same chair that Tseng had left him in earlier that afternoon. He did not look up immediately but sat with his head resting against one arm, looking with thoughtful eyes out onto the now dark skies of Junon. He looked tired.

Elena hesitated as behind her the door clicked back into place, shutting her in with him. Her own dogged determination and inner shame had carried her this far, through the entrance to his room. But now, standing there facing him, her courage suddenly failed her and she was left wondering if this really was the right decision...

Noting the distinct lack of sound in the room Rufus lifted his brow and turned to look in the direction of the door. Seeing who was standing there shock swept across his countenance and he rose, too quickly, from his chair. For a few seconds neither of them spoke, just looked at each other, then with a strained effort Rufus found his voice.

"Elena?"

It was all that he could muster at that moment. Yes he had been thinking, preparing for this meeting all day, turning over the various scenarios again and again in his head. But all these imaginary events had been planned for on his terms, at his initiative. To look up and find that she had pre-empted him, standing so unexpectedly before him, left him floundering in a state of confusion.

Again he hesitated. For one to whom words came so easy Rufus suddenly found himself struggling over what to say. Unease and anticipation washed over him in equal measure. Why was she here so late at night, long past the hours of normal business practice? To ask her what she wanted seemed too sharp and callous, given what the two of them had been through together only the day before. Part of him longed to ask her how she was, but even now he found himself too proud to form the question on his lips. Instead he could only look at her, taking in what signs he could from her appearance.

She looked pale and exhausted, dark circles lining her eyes. She was nervous too, her hands clasping some piece of paper tightly, the edges already starting to crumple under her fingers. She was having trouble looking at him directly and when she did glance at him it was with wary frightened eyes. She was scared to be in front of him right now; well that was not unusual, most people were still scared to be in front of the Shin-Ra President. But the fact that _she_ was nervous to be with him here, together... It had not escaped Rufus' notice that they were alone in this apartment. Of course they had been alone together before but not like this, not insulated from the rest of the outside world, away from the attentions and knowledge of others. The thought formed a crackle of excitement just under his ribcage, running across his skin making him almost shiver involuntarily.

If he was to attempt this his first task would be to calm her.

With some effort he moulded his expression into a relaxed smile, acting as if it was the most natural thing in the world for her to be in his room unannounced in the middle of the night.

"Well," he sighed turning away from her to step further into the room, "here we are again, same old suite in Junon. Just like old times." Silence filled the air behind him and he frowned disconcertedly.

"Do you think Gibbs will be pleased to see us?" He half-chuckled, trying to mask his own fluttering nervousness. In sudden need of an occupation he stepped towards a small table lined with glass tumblers and an expensive-looking bottle or warm amber liquid and commenced to pour two drinks. Turning around he made his way towards her, glasses in hand. As he approached he studied her almost desperately, willing her to lift her head in order to catch some glimpse of the expression on her face, some inclination of what was going through her mind. He still did not know why she was there and her silence was driving him to distraction. Elena however just continued to stand resolutely in front of him, now gripping her elbow with the opposite hand in the same defensive, nervous gesture she had made when standing in his office, handing him her first report into the West Continent oil fields all that time ago.

"A little late to be up don't you think?" He enquired softly when he was in front of her, inclining his head towards her in a gesture that could be taken as both conspiratorial and amused.

"I'm sorry sir," Elena spoke out suddenly, ducking her head, "I-I should go."

"No wait!" Rufus said sharply, realising his mistake. Elena faltered on the spot, evidently unsure of what to do.

"Stay for a drink," he said, extending one of the tumblers of liquor towards her, "It's been too long since we last shared a drink together."

"No sir, thank you sir." Elena replied with a small shake of her head.

He glanced down at the refused drink before turning back to the table to set it down. "At least sit down." He said with a slightly frustrated note to his voice. Why was she making this so difficult? Again there was nothing, just the rustle of her jacket as she fidgeted on the spot. Biting back his annoyance Rufus took a sip from his own glass before setting it too on the countertop. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand he gazed sullenly at her, wrestling with his features to bring them back into a serious countenance.

"So we are back to 'sir' once more," he murmured bitterly, not moving from his spot a few paces from the Turk. Elena glanced up, confusion flickering across her face.

"You called me 'Rufus' last night." Her reaction was instantaneous; eyes widening she blushed violently before turning her face away in embarrassment. Buoyed by this sudden show of emotion he pressed on, his pulse beating faster now. She remembered, it had meant something to her! The words, the embrace, everything!

"Elena," he continued almost breathlessly, taking a step forward, "Elena, what happened on the rooftop-"

"Please don't!" Elena winced, shaking her head sharply from side to side. Stung by the anguish this memory was clearly causing her Rufus stopped short, his lips parted in confusion.

"I-I know I screwed up!" She continued, her voice sounding close to tears, "It was my fault I-"

"No," Rufus interrupted hoarsely, "No, it was my fault. You weren't to blame, I took advantage-"

She wasn't listening however, but just stood and shook her head in distress. It did not occur to either of them that they were each referring to a different event. Mind filling rapidly with despair Rufus fought to muster the resolve to speak, to explain himself. Just as he was about to open his mouth however Elena also appeared to make her mind up about something. Taking a deep breath she finally raised her head to look at Rufus. Though her face was pale and expressionless her eyes were filled with such emotion that it caught the breath in his throat. Fear, pain, anxiety, they all seemed to jostle for prominence in her wide, glistening eyes. He could only look back dumbfounded.

"Sir", for all the feeling conveyed in her gaze this was the only word she gave voice to, the address coming out in a breathless whisper. With a slightly trembling arm she offered up the paper that had been held so tightly in her grasp. From his position a few feet away Rufus looked down at her hand uncomprehendingly. A report? No, he dismissed, it was too thin and folded in two. A letter then. She had written him a letter? But what for? What on Gaia could she have to say to him that she couldn't tell him to his face?

Pushing back his confusion Rufus attempted to display a light, relaxed air as he stepped towards her, closing the distance between them. His quickening heartbeat however spoke of the falseness of this calm exterior. Raising his hand to accept the letter he smiled softly at the blonde woman in front of him, "What's this?" he purred.

"My letter of resignation."

Rufus pulled back his hand sharply, his fingers flinching away from the piece of paper as if it might burn them. His smile faltered for the briefest of moments before quickly recomposing itself. Aware of the sharpness of his reaction he attempted to make light of it, continuing the movement of his hand up and towards his face so that the fingers came to rest against his mouth in a contemplative gesture. His smile tightening Rufus exhaled lightly through his nose before turning away, fingers tapping against his lips. Elena watched helplessly as he stepped stiffly away from her, she couldn't make out his full expression from that angle but his eyes appeared to be shifting and darting across the ground in front of him, as if searching for something.

Seconds ticked by. After an excruciating silence he finally spoke, not raising his head to look at her but keeping it bowed, his hand still pressed up to his mouth.

"You have been under some stress lately Elena, I understand that." His words were low and guarded, spoken with careful measure. "You may take a leave of absence to recuperate."

Elena dropped her head and shook it sadly, "No sir" she whispered.

"I will expect you back at your desk within a week mind." He continued, voice speeding up as he ignored her protest, "We cannot afford to lose too many man hours."

"No sir," she tried again imploringly, "you don't understand-"

"_No!_" The sharp vehemence with which the word was spoken had the same effect as a slap across Elena's face, making her wince visibly.

A horrid, sickening silence filled the room. Rufus appeared as if the sudden outburst had shocked him just as much as her; spinning away from Elena he ran a trembling hand through his hair, bunching his fingers into a fist around the short hairs at the nape of his neck.

After a few moments he seemed to claw back some composure, taking in a long shuddering breath and allowing the muscles of his face to relax somewhat. Slowly he turned his head and then his body to face her. Elena had been watching the entire scene with wide surprised eyes, her lips parted in shock. Yet even in the midst of her distress part of her wanted to run up and comfort the President, to soothe away whatever emotions were causing him such anguish. But as he turned to look at her all such inclinations vanished quickly from Elena's head. He appeared calm, unnervingly calm, raising himself up to his full height, chin lifted in an arrogant stance, breath low and even. Not a tremble, nor a hint of the emotions that had threatened to engulf him moments earlier.

"Why are you doing this?" He posed the question in a low hoarse whisper, then after a moment's silence, "Is it because of me?"

Lost for words Elena could only raise a shaking hand, offering up the same letter by way of explanation.

It was like waving a red rag at a bull. Rufus' short-lived calm shattered and he launched himself forward, covering the short distance between them faster than Elena had time to respond in. Anger gave him speed in spite of his injuries while her own despair hampered her movements. She only managed to half-turn away before he was reaching out, grasping her arm and wrenching her back around to face him.

"I do not want to hear it from _that_, I want to hear it from you!" He barked, his grip on her arm tightening painfully.

"Sir!" Elena cried panicked, her other hand reaching out to try to free herself, "Please sir, you're hurting me."

"_Tell me!_" He demanded, not relaxing his grip for a second.

"_Let me go sir!_"

"_No!_"

He snatched up her free wrist, pulling her up level with him, so close that she couldn't focus on his features. Elena tugged uselessly, her Turk training could have helped her escape his grip if she so chose, but she lacked both the strength and the will to properly try. Giving up she turned her face away from his, tears threatening to fall down her cheeks at any minute.

"I can't move on!" she sobbed between shuddering breaths, "Not- not from what happened at the Crater. It's impeding my work. With- with you on the rooftop I... We nearly...I can't."

"Try harder!" Rufus said through gritted teeth.

"I can't!" Elena said, shaking her head.

"_You're a Turk aren't you?"_

"No..." Elena gasped, screwing up her eyes, "I don't have what it takes, I never did. Even before! I was no good as a Turk!"

The blood roared in Rufus' ears. Several thoughts flickered across his mind in rapid succession, many of them dark. He wanted to hit her, raise his arm and strike her bowed face with the back of his hand. He had always despised self-pity and to see it in her of all people filled him with an inexplicable rage.

Without a word he shoved her away from him, causing Elena to stumble in surprise. Disbelief and shock still wavered prominently in his mind. He didn't understand why she was doing this, why she was doing this to _him. _Like a wounded animal however his first instinct was to lash out. He wasn't going to strike her but he was still going to hurt her, and anyone who might try to defend her, she was not suffering nearly as much as he wished right now, not after this...because he knew it was over, even through the fog of anger he knew that it had finished before it had even begun.

Looking down at her contemptuously he held her trapped under his gaze for a few more seconds before deigning to speak.

"Why join at all then?" His voice came out low and calm, almost a whisper, though laced with a conspicuous malice. Elena gulped in air, not knowing how to answer, not that he expected her to answer of course.

"What did you think this was anyway?" he asked, his head tilting to the side, "What did you imagine being a Turk would entail?" He took a step towards her, causing Elena to fight the urge to shrink away from him.

"A cool uniform?" he asked with a mocking twitch of the lips, "A way to go one up on big sis'? To get daddy to notice you? To _prove _yourself?" He paused and sneersed at her disdainfully, "Why you're no better than that spoilt brat Gabriella, running away the moment you can't have your way!"

Elena couldn't take much more of this. He was so close now, practically towering over her, cold bullying eyes bearing down on her unrelentingly. She turned her head away, eyes cast to the ground, to anywhere but him. Ashamedly she felt the tremor in her hands and shoulders as her emotions started to take over completely.

Rufus stopped, looking down at the young Turk. He knew he was burning his bridges, destroying any chance of what might have been. But he found he could not stop, anger and despair fuelling each other in a devastating cycle.

"I'm sorry to inform you, being a Turk isn't like getting just another job. It's not something you get to give up when you're bored, or when it all gets a little too real for you." The hostility in his voice was growing in intensity, distorting his calm conspiratorial tone to an angry hiss.

"It's not a contract you can end with something as flimsy as this." Elena felt a sharp tug on the letter that she still held loosely by her side. Without fighting she released her grip on the paper, relinquishing it to Rufus.

Paper in hand Rufus spun sharply away from her, taking Elena by surprise. Walking a few steps with his back to her he lowered his head, inspecting the letter without actually opening it.

"I do not accept your resignation for the simple reason that it is not yours to give." He stated in a low even tone, his words accompanied by the sound of paper ripping under the pressure of long delicate fingers. Elena watched as the fragments of the words she had spent so long devising fluttered unread to the floor.

"There are only two ways you ever get to stop being a Turk." Rufus explained, turning slowly to face her once again, arms folded neatly behind his back, his composure now completely intact. "The first is by the express permission of the President, regarding which I think I have made myself clear. The second is the route taken by each of your predecessors before you."

It was the black-and-white nature by which he said these words that finally tipped it for Elena. Why was he being so cruel? Heart racing she felt the warm trickle of a tear roll down her cheek.

"Hmmph," a snort, a short satisfied sound made more through the nose than the mouth. Elena's eyes snapped open wide, without looking she could picture the sardonic smirk undoubtedly accompanying that noise. The callousness of it was enough to shatter her paralysis. Twisting away she made a bolt for the door, tears freely streaming down her face.

"Elena!" She'd nearly made it to the exit when his voice sounded behind her, a cool authoritative snap to it. Despite herself Elena froze, hand clasping the door handle, head hunched low between her shoulders.

"You will report with the rest of the Turks at 0800 hours tomorrow. That is an order." Elena stood stock still for a breath before opening the door and letting it swing shut behind her, the heavy sound reverberating across the empty corridor.

_AU note: I know I mentioned Jane Austen at the start but I have to admit this chapter was pure 'Jane Eyre' again in its channelling. The 'I must leave you, Mr. Rochester' scene. While my favourite screen Rochester is probably Toby Stephens, I think this scene was done best by the fantastically passionate moustached Ciaran Hinds in the 1997 version. He was certainly who I was thinking of when I imagined a rage-filled Rufus in this chapter (clips from all these versions and more can be found in that most wonderful of resources YouTube btw). As always reviews are most welcome, consider them my pay check! _


End file.
